


Descend the Shades of Night

by Zafona



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Assault, BAMF!Cas, Captivity, Complete, Demon!Dean, Destiel - Freeform, Dom!Cas, Fighting, Happy Epilogue, Hierarchy, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mentions of Suicide, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Murder, Oral Sex, Rescue Mission, Romance, Self Sacrifice, Sexual Content, Suicidal Thoughts, Tragedy, Trauma, absent father, bottom!Dean, demon!Sam, old fic, somewhat poorly written probably, tournament, zafona's archives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-30 06:31:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1015312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zafona/pseuds/Zafona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a reserve built to study supernatural beings a hierarchy had been established among the creatures. The most dominant claimed the submissive as their mates or personal objects, that was just how it worked. Dean grew up for the better part of his life within the reserve, his allure was all he had, no special power, no secret strength, just the ability to attract. It was too much for some and the time grew closer when he would be claimed as a more powerful being's play thing. Castiel enters his life abruptly and changes everything within his world and many others'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dean narrates parts of the story, not the whole thing. This is another one of my older stories so I hope it translates well enough to be enjoyed.

 

- _start recording-_

_It's been a long time since someone asked me to retell this story, to recall how hard life used to be for us back then. I remember him, very well. He was beautiful, smart, and one of the kindest people I've ever met. -soft laughter- He gave me two beautiful children, as impossible as that sounds. I never thought two males could do that, but I had underestimated him, what he could do. The list was endless, he was capable of so much and did more for me than anyone ever had, or has since._

_I've been asked how well I remember. -slow, heavy breath- I could never forget those eyes... that beautiful smile. I still remember the day he said goodbye, the look of his back as he walked away from us..._

_You know something; I think you deserve to get the whole story, from the beginning. I think he deserves it too, to be heard about, for someone else to know than just those of us that were there. Fifteen years ago, there were things called Reserves set up for us, us being 'the supernatural,' inhuman beings. Anything not considered normal. The humans decided it was easier to group us together into one category when describing the Reserves to others, less to say that way. The reserves were filled with multiple types of creatures, always mix and matched just in case the same species started rallying together and made a cause out of it. We were all so different from one another inside that cage, so much so that I can't recall much planning of anything before he got there. We fought amongst ourselves too often, a lot of racial slurs._

_To give you some insight to this and why I was there, I'm a demon; there are many different kinds of demons for many different 'occupations.' I believe I got the short end of that stick, I don't have any special abilities like a lot of the others do; I was told as a kid that when I grew up I would be irresistable, there'd be an attraction around me that any weaker creature would fall to its knees just for a moment of my time. But that was it, that was my incredible 'strength'. Other demons got amazing abilities like power, some kind of magical technique to control another's body or take possession of it. I got 'you're very pretty.' Not exactly an open job market for 'you will please others.' Except there was one problem with what they told me; that attractiveness did bring in more attention than I was ready for and a lot more people were hurt than 'pleased.'_

_Anyway, these Reserves are set up for anything supernatural, demons, werewolves, shape-shifters, vampires, ghouls, reapers, and many others. Each reserve had a set of scientists dedicated to a specific species, and then there were the generalists who dealt with more mundane things. We were studied, poked and prodded at their leisure, I was given quite a bit of attention at first but that died off once they realized I wasn't all that special. But on the other hand, the scientists were actually particularly interested in the strongest species occupying the reserves; angels. I don't envy those winged bastards for a lot of the attention they got, there were only six angels and by the end of it my Reserve carried all of them. The thing was, the scientists had an almost unlimited supply of every other creature living there, except for angels._

_The Reserves were broken down from human rules on the inside of it all, past the fancy machinery, medicine and paperwork we were animalistic in our living. The world inside built itself on hierarchy, the strongest were on top, they got what they wanted when they wanted it and that's all anyone could do. The most powerful were considered the dominant ones, the rest submissive to them. Dominants had their pick of submissives for whatever they wished. Submissives were courted, used for the night, and even kept and claimed forever as a mate. Considering my 'superpowers' I'm sure you can already tell which one of these i was._

_Okay, enough of me telling you the story, let me show you._

 

* * *

Dean growled as he walked down a clean, white hallway. One escort on either side, both holding guns aimed in his direction. Had they been normal guns he wouldn't care, he'd be able to fight back no problem. However they weren't normal, ever since that one guy named Colt something invented the gun that could kill anything everyone had one. Or at least these facilities did. Dean had just come from a session with the resident doctor or 'vet,' as he liked to call them. He hated seeing the vet, especially when there was nothing wrong with him.

Okay, he'd been a little ill lately, but that was normal for someone who locked themselves in their room and refused to eat. He was sick of this place and their rules, he wanted out. Though at least he was allowed to dress however he wanted to, none of those matching monkey suits or anything. He'd heard of a Reserve that forced everyone to wear the same white get up, like they were in a mental institute or something.

"Just try to relax," the doctor had said to him, "I understand how you must feel, trapped, stifled, stuck. But Dean there are so many possibilities for you here."

Yeah,  _bullshit_. The only possibility for him here was to be fought over and then raped. He wasn't too interested in any of the men he'd seen and the only woman who would possibly be strong enough to fight for him was Anna, and she'd already been claimed by Balthazar.

Dean was led through rather large doors into a much less impressively clean area, the escorts stopped behind him and closed off the only exit, leaving him to continue through the rest of the tunnel as he saw fit. He wrapped his arms around himself and walked along the dirt-ridden metal floor, staring down as he did so. The facilities that the scientists worked in were surrounding the Reserve as its walls and fences, from all angles they could watch the commotion within the supernatural world with the knowledge that they were safe. Dean hated being in the human facilities, he hated the humans and their stupid knives and needles, he hated being in that place. Dean just _hated_. He hated everything, everyone, there were hardly any things or people that passed his radar.

Hardly.

The sunlight hit his face as he exited the tunnels leading from the facilities to the open space of the Reserve, the sudden light caught his attention and he had to look up. The landscape before him was gorgeous as always, there were many different houses, mostly large apartment-like buildings, plotted along the whole property. It looked sort of like any other town's residential area. It was clean, kept decently so and Dean at least liked the view. It took forever to get home from the edges of the Reserve but at that point he didn't care, he had a long walk ahead of him, alone and quiet. He liked to look at their town set-up, some of the places were made by the creatures living inside and it had a nice touch to it. However, when he looked at the edges of the land, where there should have been something like an open field, he saw giant walls closing them in, the facilities of the scientists looming over everything. 

He sighed heavily and trudged down the paved road that lead to the residential areas. It really was a long walk, as he stumbled along he noticed a large truck rolling up behind him. It was one of the habitat specialists, probably. He looked at the truck and glared bitterly like he always did when one drove past him. Dean would never forget an image like that, or that goddamn sound. It was the same type of truck that haunted his dreams at night, the same one that had shown up when he was barely eight years old and took him away. An image flashed across his mind, the face of his four year old brother crying as they were separated.

Dean shook his head when the truck stopped beside him and an old, familiar head poked out, "Need a lift, boy?" It was Bobby Singer, the only habitat specialist that Dean had ever not hated.

"Yeah, would be nice I guess." He walked around the vehicle and hopped into the passenger seat, not bothering to belt himself in. "So..." He glanced in the direction of the holding tank on the back, "Got someone in there?" Dean tried to keep the venom from his tone but it managed to sneak in anyway, not that Bobby ever really noticed much, or if he did he didn't give a damn.

Bobby smiled a little, "They caught another angel," he nodded mostly to himself as he let thoughts spill out loud, "That'll make six, including Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Balthazar, and Anna."

Dean stared in complete awe, "An angel? No one's caught an angel since that big ritual fiasco twenty years ago!" It was a big deal. Dean didn't like angels either but hey, a new face was a new face, it might've been nice to get a little excited.

"Ugh that was ugly," Bobby ran his hand along his tired face, "All five of them came through at once, what a mess that was."

"So how'd you guys catch this one?" Dean heard how jaded he sounded, his mind cringing at the thought of it. Had 18 years on that Reserve really changed him so much? Then again, was that even a good question to ask? Kind of an obvious answer.

"It was sort of a cheap shot and a bit of a fluke. You know those angel blades that they carry?" Bobby looked over at his passenger, who just nodded slowly, "Well we found a way to duplicate 'em and make different types of weapons. One of which is like a crossbow, some idjit shot it into the air, what we thought was wastin' a bullet. Suddenly this one fell outta the sky and crash landed onto the truck."

Dean shook his head in disbelief. A lucky shot brought down an angel? That was hard to believe, he couldn't sit there and actually take that in as truth, it was too much to swallow. "Some idjit? You mean Chuck, don't you?" he laughed softly and paused for a moment, "But seriously, just fell out of the sky?"

"Yeah," Bobby nodded intently, "The bolt went right through his wing, he can heal himself pretty fast but we netted him before he could get away."

Dean winced at that, a bolt through the wing must have been excrutiating for that poor thing, he knew how sensitive an angel's wings were. No wonder the poor thing tumbled to the ground. "Can I see him?"

Bobby made a face at that, his brow scrunching as he looked at Dean skeptically. "Ehh I dunno, boy." He glanced to his driver's side mirror, he was thinking it over as he looked at the container on his truck, "He was kind of pissy when we threw him in there."

"Come on, what harm can it do? He's already inside the Reserve, can't get out right? So why not?" Dean pleaded, leaning toward the older man. He had no idea why he wanted to see so badly but he was excited. This new face, this angel, might be someone capable of fighting for him. Dean didn't hate  _all_ angels, just some of them, maybe this one would be decent.

Bobby shoved him away and grumbled, "Alright fine, I'll let you go see him. But don't go telling nobody 'bout this,"

"Yeah yeah," Dean smiled as he hopped out the driver's door, running around the back of the truck. He knew from experience that those nets they used had a draining effect. They stung to touch, which sucked because they were constantly draped over you. 

He took hold of the latch, flipped it and opened the door slowly, peering inside. As always it was dark, light pouring around him and casting his shadow into the container, it was hard to see at first but he noticed white feathers strewn about the containment cell. They glistened when the sunlight hit them and Dean couldn't help but follow the trail of them to a writhing figure further back. "Hello?" He called inside and climbed up onto the truck. He hated those things and his heart felt like it'd race right out of his chest but none the less he cautiously walked closer.

It was dark in there, very dark, but from what he could see this angel had gorgeous wings, he'd seen the other angels' wings too but they almost seemed dulled by having been on Earth for so long. This one was fresh, brand new to the area and the rules of their world. He watched as a black haired head slowly rose from its hung position, piercing blue eyes gazing at him through the dark lighting. It sent a shock down Dean's spine, in that dim space he shouldn't have been able to make out the angel's features very well but his eyes were glowing, a vibrant blue mixing with white and drowning it out. At first neither moved, Dean stopped in his tracks and stared at the beauty before him. He'd never come across anyone so pretty, is that what he did to people when they saw him?

"Who are you?" the angel's voice washed over him, if he had to place a description on it, he'd definitely go with sexy, hands down.

"My name is Dean," he lost the ability to speak and before he could stop himself only unflattering and disconnected words escaped. "Welcome to the Reserve."

"This is one of those despicable reserves?" He responded immediately, a look of slight horror took over his earlier curious expression. Dean gave him a short but definite nod, he understood how the angel must have been feeling.

"And what's your name?" He asked, reaching for the net that obviously had the other male flinching.

"Castiel," The angel answered simply, his eyes fixed on Dean's hands, there was no semblance of trust there whatsoever. "What are you doing?"

"Getting this net off of you, that's what." Dean knelt down, it would be just like ripping off a band aid, the quicker he removed the thing and let go of it the less it would hurt in the long run.

Castiel stared at him, now that Dean was closer he could see his face a lot more clearly. He was suddenly taken with this oddly helpful creature, he couldn't help but stare. He hardly noticed the net being pulled from his body, though he couldn't deny the freedom he felt in his wings at that moment. The white feathers spread out as Castiel stretched the muscles in his wings, a brief but noticeable shudder creeping down his spine.

Dean looked at the wingspan before daring to look the angel in the face again, "You alright?"

"As alright as I can be. Thank you." Dean felt like he could listen to that voice for hours, "How long have you been living here?" Castiel's question caught him off guard, though he felt it necessary to answer.

"Most of my life, I'm 26 now, they took me when I was eight." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, apparently he still didn't have 'talking' down. Did Castiel ask him when he'd been taken? Nope but he told him anyway. "Haven't seen my dad, mom, or little brother since." He smiled a little at the thought of Sammy, "Wonder how he's doing."

"Probably not much better than yourself," the angel muttered, probably not realizing how insensitive his comment could sound.

"No, when these people hit a home they usually take the whole family of creatures, though putting them on different Reserves." Dean glanced at the door, knowing that Bobby was probably waiting impatiently for him. "Regardless of what we want though," he looked back at the angel, "We're stuck here, you can't fly out. The device they clamp around your neck when they catch you sends out a signal to the wall that surrounds this place. And when you pass by a certain level in the Reserve," he traced the thin band along his neck, "That signal is disrupted and the collar shocks you enough to stop all of your mobility."

Castiel ran his finger along the new band around his neck; he remembered them clipping it in place and the thing forming nicely to the right shape, fitting perfectly. "So there is no way out of here..." He sighed and sat down, his wings drooping as he slid to the floor. "I will have to accept my fate and live here like my brothers and sister," he stared disdainfully at the door, then turned his gaze on Dean, "Will you inform me of the ways of this place?" He asked in earnest.

Dean looked shocked, "You want me to tell you about it? You won't just go straight to your kind?"

The angel shrugged, "I do not get along with all of them." He refused to admit that he just wanted to spend more time with Dean, he had to figure out how this place worked, if it was similar to what he was used to or if he had to make an effort to learn how to top the others. Dominance and hierarchy always mattered, though now that he was in a location separate from heaven, separate from an omnipotent being that was the end all be all, he had a shot at becoming top dog. He remembered seeing these Reserves from his perch in heaven; some of the things he'd seen appeared barbaric, though many he wanted to take part in.

Dean glanced at the door again, "Well how about we meet up after your 'orientation' here? The driver is probably getting annoyed with me."

Castiel nodded, "Yes, I will seek you out later."

Dean smiled and headed for the door, feeling the angel's eyes on him as he walked. Hopping outside again he closed the door and flipped the latch back to lock it in place. He climbed into the passenger seat and gave Bobby an apologetic smile, "He's okay,"

Bobby, having had his notepaper and pen out, shrugged, "I didn't expect him to be in bad shape, just really grumpy." He lifted the paper, "And don't worry, I was eavesdropping. Couldn't let a moment like that pass by without taking some notes."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Of course," he muttered, looking out the windshield. Every human here was the same, research came first.

* * *

 

_After that Bobby dropped me off at the edge of the living areas and drove off with the new angel. I remember standing there for almost an hour, wondering what on earth they were doing to him. They always showed more interest in the angels, and a fresh one from heaven was probably more than interesting material for the scientists. I never really asked him what they did, but that doesn't mean I wasn't curious to know._

_It was late that night when I heard the truck return, I'd gotten out of bed to see which building they were dropping him off at. They actually stopped at mine; I remember how surprised I was. I lived in one of the many larger, apartment-like buildings and I know it was almost empty, a lot of my neighbours were being claimed by stronger, dominating creatures. Once a couple is made, after a submissive is chosen to be a mate for life, they get one of the houses meant for two, or possibly the ones meant for families._

_I had been fought over numerous times, though only one being continued to win, and he didn't want me as a mate, just a fuck buddy I guess. So I wasn't taken yet, but anyone who wanted to try for me had to fight him, and he never lost. Only once I was claimed as a mate would I never have to sit through one of those stupid battles again. It had been years since it started when I first arrived, but the arrival of Castiel was the beginning of the end of it all. I wish I'd known that when I met him, I would have tried to brighten my spirits more than I did._


	2. Chapter 2

_I could hardly sleep that night, thousands of thoughts swirling in my head kept me awake. I couldn't forget that face, all night it was at the forefront of my mind. Questions I'd answer, what he might ask, how he'd ask it. Things that seemed important to think about were the focus of my thoughts, though I hadn't caught the underlying feeling I was getting from them. If I had known at the time of our second meeting that I was already falling for him I would have done so many things differently._

_So overall I'm glad I didn't know._

* * *

The sun warmed Dean's face as it shone through his bedroom window, albeit very comfortable though it was waking him up which was cause for some anger on his part. He grumbled as he pulled the blanket over his head in protest of the sun's light, it felt much too early to be waking considering he felt like he just barely fell asleep. The covers warmed up quickly, he felt the slow descent of slumber returning to him and soon could have been considered sleeping again.

Then he heard a soft chuckle in a unique, gravelly voice. He knew who it was instantly. Dean sat up abruptly and threw the blanket off of his head, his gaze snapped onto the figure in his room, "How the hell did you get in here!?" While he was excited to see the new comer again he didn't so much appreciate the breaking and entering aspect of their second meeting.

Castiel looked surprise that he'd asked in the first place, "You have known my brothers, haven't you?" His tone was curious at best. "Don't you know of our abilities?"

Dean's face scrunched a little, "Of course I know your brothers,"  _Too well._  "What abilities let you waltz into other people's houses unannounced?"

The angel had to pause at that, the thought process almost visible in his eyes. Dean took note that even in the sunlight, especially in the sunlight, Castiel's eyes were incredible. "Okay," he finally responded, "I understand what you mean by that, and I am sorry. I thought I was clear when I said I would seek you out,"

Dean shook his head, "Not quite," But he did want to know. "What exactly, then, did you mean by 'I will seek you out'?" He couldn't help the mocking tone but the angel didn't seem to mind so much.

Castiel smiled at him, a beautiful smile to be sure, "I meant that I will do anything to find you again, including intrude upon your property."

Dean felt a hot blush over his cheeks at the other man's words. He would do  _anything?_

_(I hadn't understood it at the time, but he meant what he said. When he said he'd do anything, he honestly would have done anything to see me again.)_

"Are you blushing?" Castiel asked innocently, peering down at what he believed was the cutest face he'd ever seen.

Dean scowled at him, "No! Shut up, Cas." He turned away, trying to hide his uncontrollable pouting lip.

Castiel blinked a few times as he let the words roll through his mind, "Cas?" he questionedafter a moment and then repeated it, "Cas..." his smile widened, "I like that; Cas." The angel nodded over at Dean, "You can call me that from now on."

Dean shook his head, "What, you're giving me permission now?" He knew it made sense; Castiel looked like the dominant type. It was at that moment that Dean truly looked the angel over in the light; a black suit, white button-up shirt, and blue tie all pulled together beneath a tan trench coat. Dean shuddered a little at the thought of what was beneath that coat, from what he saw of the lean torso the button-up clung to, he was getting excited thinking about it. And though he would have enjoyed disappearing in a fantasy or two Castiel interrupted,  _that voice_ interrupted.

"My apologies, will you please call me that?"

Dean's eyes widened, startled that an angel, of all things, asked him to do something. It was a request, not a demand, which really threw the man for a loop. "Uh yeah, sure, Cas."

Cas smiled at that, apparently still thoroughly enjoying the nickname. "Thank you," he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, his blue eyes never losing focus on Dean's. "So I believe I came here for a reason."

Dean's heart skipped a beat ( _An occurrence I would grow to know well_ ), Cas was too close. He climbed out of bed quickly and walked over to his dresser, looking for any excuse to move away from the advancing angel, "Yeah, you wanted to ask me about this place. How about we go for a bite to eat? We can discuss it over burgers." He heard his voice coming out of his mouth but he couldn't believe it was truly him speaking. The speed at which he managed to utter those words was excessive; sounding rushed wasn't going to leave a good impression. He glanced nervously at Cas, who only stared at him intently, the curiosity and intrigue never leaving those blue orbs.

"Sounds good to me," he answered after noticing Dean's anxious looks. He looked the other man up and down; now that he was out from under the covers Cas could see more of Dean's features than before. He unconsciously licked his lips as his eyes scanned past Dean's waist line, attempting to undress him with his eyes though he knew it was impossible.

Dean glanced down at himself, wearing black boxers and a grey tee wasn't what he had expected, at least not for seeing Castiel again. He waved his hand at the angel, "Shoo, I'm gonna get dressed and then we can go."

Cas looked disturbed by this but nodded his head, he didn't want to offend Dean, not on the second day. He rose from the bed and casually strolled out of the room, taking a peek at Dean's boxers as he passed. "I'll be out here," he muttered, sounding a little grumpy that he was being kicked out.

Dean watched the door close and couldn't help the smile that took over his face; Castiel had actually come over to see him! Sought him out, like he said he would. Dean pulled his shirt off and threw it to the floor, still grinning at the thought of the angel's interest. An angel had been interested him this whole time, though not in a way that he would appreciate. He could already tell that Castiel was different, much different.

_I remember that moment very clearly, that was the first time I had ever wanted to be fought for. I hoped that he would make a stand and try to claim me, not just for a night but for himself. At the time I couldn't put these feelings into words or actions, but they continued to flutter in my stomach like butterflies._

They arrived at Dean's favourite burger joint in the Reserve, not that there were many of them but this one seemed to have better quality food. It could have been the fact that a certain angel didn't like to even walk into a heart attack factory like this, but it seemed silly to say a place was your favourite for that reason.

Dean looked over at Cas and raised his hands in front of him to usher the angel forward, "Go ahead, order whatever you want. Food's free here."

Cas glanced at him then back at the menu, "I have never eaten before,"

"You what?" Dean sounded appalled at the other man's words, "You've never  _eaten_  before!"

Cas shook his head, "I never had to, angel's don't need to eat."

Dean opened his mouth but paused, he remembered that, why did it seem so shocking? Probably because the angels that he knew ate anyway, even if they didn't have to. "Right, you guys don't need food and you don't have any up there so you haven't eaten," Dean muttered himself through the thought process, "Makes sense. All you need to know is you'll love it,"

Cas shrugged and followed Dean to the counter, feeling a little excited for the new experience. Before long they each had two burgers and fries, and were sitting in a booth next to the main window. Cas stared down at the food on his tray, looking up at Dean to get a good idea of what to do with it. Dean, on the other hand, hadn't hesitated to dig in.

"So," Cas lifted the burger to inspect it, "What would you say is the first thing I need to know about this Reserve?"

Dean looked up, his mouth full as he slowly chewed. He used that as a way to drag time out as he thought of a good response. There were a number of things it would be good to know, what would be at the top of the list? He swallowed and nodded his head, "Hierarchy," he said as he took another bite, this time deciding to speak as he chewed. What did he need manners for? He wasn't  _really_ trying to impress this guy. ( _I was_ really  _trying to convince myself of this, anyway_ ) "Strongest fighter is the dominant one, anyone who wants something the strongest has will either have to ask real nice like, or fight him."

"What kind of fight?" Castiel was attempting to stop the excitement in his voice, though his eyes betrayed him.

Dean glanced at Cas, swallowing again as he did so, "Any kind of challenge you want, really. As long as he agrees to it, if you win you win, and that's that."

Cas nodded, "What's the most common?"

"Usually it's a show of strength, the whole 'I fight you until a checkmate' occurs, most of the time someone gives up. There's usually an obvious dominant and submissive, though there are battles that go on for a long time between evenly matched individuals." Dean crossed his arms on the table, leaning forward, closer to Castiel.

"And I have to fight over everything?"

"No, just the things that are already claimed, or if it isn't claimed yet you have to fight everyone that wants a piece of it until the strongest is declared. It's not that hard, really. If you pick something up and someone else says it's theirs, you fight them for it if you intend to keep it. That's all."

Cas nodded slowly, Dean could see the gears turning in his head, "So if I claim something, it isn't technically mine. Someone can always come along and take it?"

Dean shrugged, "Yeah, I guess... With objects anyway."

Cas' eyes brightened a little, "You can claim more than objects? You mean territory, right?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, objects, territory, people..."

Cas suddenly adjusted his position, leaning onto the table on his elbows as well, "People? What are the rules on claiming people?"

Smirking, Dean couldn't help but admire Castiel's attentiveness, nothing seemed to get past him, "Well, claiming people is different than claiming objects; objects can be repossessed by someone stronger than you. People, once you claim them for life, are yours forever. Until you die, anyway. However," he hesitated, he didn't want to tell Cas this for fear of him making use of it, but he had started so continuing was the only thing he could do, "You can also use them for the night, if you wished. You don't need to keep them."

Cas recoiled at that, a look of disgust on his face, "Why would anyone want to do that?"

Dean beamed; Cas had no idea how happy he'd just made him. "No idea, but they do. Something else you should know is that the scientists take you in once a week for an inspection and routine questioning. You, though, they may take several more times in a week."

"Why is that?" Cas seemed to shrink at the mentioning of the scientists.

"Because we have a limited supply of angels on the Reserves, from what I heard ours has all of them." He glanced at Cas' increasingly unhappy expression, "Hey, the others have been here for years, okay? Nothing they do to you lasts."

Cas seemed to be comforted by the thought and nodded his head, "You're right. I believe the positives out weight the negatives, anyway." He smiled again, sending a hot flash throughout Dean's body. Somehow he just knew that Cas was talking about him, he wasn't able to prove it but he felt it, he could see it in the angel's eyes.

They finished their meals; the silence that followed wasn't entirely awkward, though it wasn't comfortable either. Dean continued to glance up at Cas who rarely took his eyes away from the obviously submissive male in front of him. He knew what he wanted; now it was just a matter of getting it.

"So, Dean," Cas had finished devouring his burgers at this point. "Who is at the top around here?" He knew what angels had been trapped on earth; after Dean told him they were all on this reserve he had an idea of who the number one was.

Dean suddenly felt uncomfortable with the topic, though he knew he couldn't cut it off now, Cas would be pissed. "Michael," the name was all he had to say to disgust himself, he hated that guy with a passion.

Cas nodded again, "I figured as much." He hadn't expected Dean's reaction; the other man looked like he would be close to puking. "May I ask a more personal question?"

Dean's surprised expression was becoming a popular one these days, he was wearing it again after Castiel showed him some respect, he'd asked if it was okay to ask something personal. No one ever did that with him, they just went ahead and asked him, "Yeah, go ahead." He barely managed to sputter out a response.

Cas smiled at him, enjoying the bashful act, he found it oddly cute. "Have you been claimed?"

"Yes," A voice sounded behind him, "He's mine."

Castiel caught a fist that flew toward his face, his blue eyes scowling up at Michael, "Hello, brother."

Dean stood abruptly, "Michael, you son of a bitch!" He shouted, "You never-"

"Silence, Dean," Michael turned that cold stare on him, one that he'd grown to hate in the past few years. "Grown-ups are talking." He turned his attention on Castiel again, though by that time it was already too late, the new angel had already wound up.

Michael stumbled away from the table, his hand immediately retreating to his cheek to caress the soreness that had suddenly come to him. "You little pest," He glared down at Cas, "I'm your superior!"

Castiel sneered at him, "None of that matters down here, Michael. You've been MIA for far too long; our Father isn't coming to get you out, or any of us for that matter. We need to make our own way now that we're stuck here, and that means you're only my superior if you prove it."

Michael snarled at his brother, "You're after Dean, aren't you?"

Cas smirked, "Why? Is he supposedly yours?"

"I've won him numerous times, no one has beaten me." Michael boasted, his chest puffing up as he did so. It was a gesture that was intended to scare Castiel back, though it didn't work.

Cas scoffed, "All those times and you never claimed him as your partner? Not too bright."

"That's it, I'm going to set up a tournament for this; anyone interested in owning Dean Winchester will take part, the winner claims him for life. I'm sick of you people thinking you can take my property from me." Michael had taken several steps closer to Castiel, attempting to assert his dominance once again. However, Castiel leaned in and roughly placed his forehead against his brother's.

"Well I hope from now on you properly secure 'your property', because once this is finished I will not only have the most beautiful mate, I will also be the most dominant creature here."

Michael growled, "We'll see." He said simply before taking flight and vanishing from Dean's sight.

Cas turned his attention on the stunned man behind him, "I hope this is alright with you," he reached over and took Dean's hand, "I will win, you don't need to worry. And when I do, you have the option of remaining free; I don't want to push this on you like others have."

Dean felt fluttering in his stomach again, he was nervous and excited all at once. Castiel intended to fight for him? He was going to fight Michael? Dean felt fear crawling into the mix of butterflies, making him feel very ill. What if Cas lost? Then Michael would own him, forever. He wasn't sure he could handle that. Cas promised to be the victor, but how could he promise that? It was impossible to be certain of it. "I..." he felt his throat tightening; he didn't know what to say.

Cas smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Dean's.

Dean's eyes fell closed immediately, thoroughly enjoying the sudden kiss, though it felt like it ended as quickly as it started. He looked up into those blue eyes and almost melted, "I believe you, Cas." He spoke softly, as if saying it any louder would bring Michael back and shatter this moment.

* * *

 

_He only smiled at me after that, at least that's what I can remember. The moments between then and the signups for the tournament are very fuzzy for me; I spent most of it in a daze. I blame the first kiss, really. He was like poison to me, a sweet, beautifully addictive poison. I could listen to his voice for hours at a time, I would be content with watching him and only him for days on end, I was more than willing to give myself wholly to him. And at that time all I had gotten was a kiss. I couldn't come close to imagining what he would end up meaning to me, what he would end up doing for me and to me._


	3. Chapter 3

_I remember waking up every morning, looking forward to seeing his face. Ever since meeting him I became somewhat of a morning person, not much but enough to make it stick when I needed it with that whole single parent thing._

_He was about to participate in a tournament to fight everyone interested in keeping me. It was ridiculous how many people showed up to the registration that day. I couldn't even say I knew all of them, hell I still can't. Michael was the one who set it up, of course his name was on the list first. After Michael's name was his, a line of people waiting behind him to write their names. I was surprised to see them all, I hadn't known how many were willing to fight, and I still don't know if all of them ever really cared at all. I imagine that a few were there just for the fun of it._

_I sat behind the registration desk, like the prized trophy, everyone had their eyes on me as they signed as if I were some great motivation. I hated that, the looks on their faces, the intent in their eyes. It disgusts me to this day how anyone was able to get away with treating us like that._

_I knew he and Michael would be fighting for me, that much was obvious. I was trying to keep track of everyone I might have known that was taking part; Raphael was a surprise for sure. I only expected two angels that day, but three? It would definitely be an interesting tournament; the scientists were out with their clipboards and pens, all ready for note taking. I always thought they could smell a big research moment; they seemed to be out like bugs whenever something was about to happen. I know throughout my stay I had used their presence as an idea of what might be going on, the more that were out the more important the event was._

_Raphael, Crowley, Alastair, Meg, Henriksen, Gordon, and Azazel were the others that I recognized, and very disturbed by. Four of them were demons; Meg, Crowley, Alastair, and Azazel. None of them were anything to sneeze at, either. I would have been submissive to every one of those demons, and Raphael was an angel, no question about that power house. The others, Gordon and Henriksen, a vampire and ghoul respectively, didn't scare me._

_I had been told that before the tournament started I wasn't allowed to interact with anyone who was signed up. Now that was a serious pain in the ass, during the day I had to make sure I avoided all of the people I saw at registration. Which was impossible, I didn't even recognize half of them. And of course it was all on me to make sure I stayed away from them, if they came close to me of their own accord it was still my fault. Fucking victim blaming if you ask me._

_The few days before the tournament's opening would have been unbearable, but he broke into my house every night before I went to sleep. He always said it was because he wanted to see me before bed, later on I found out that he was seeing the scientists and researchers every night after nightfall. I wished so many times I had known sooner, so I could have helped him with it, so I could have given him a warm place to stay. I always kicked him out back then, I didn't want him to get caught and disqualified from the tournament. I really wish I hadn't._

* * *

Dean sat anxiously in the lab, he watched the levels of the machine he was hooked up to. It measured all of the medical basics, plus a few extra things for the supernatural. He didn't know exactly what it all did but when there were certain spikes in a graph or a loud noise here and there someone always wrote something down like the devil was on their heels. Dean didn't care if he was healthy, or at least he never used to. He wanted to be well for Castiel but at the same time he felt so nervous about the tournament. "Can I go yet? It's the same as always."

"Not yet," Ellen lifted a finger and pointed at him, "We have to get an accurate reading every week, you know that."

He grumbled and looked back at the levels, everything was too slow today. The tournament started soon and he had to be there to see the opening, it was the most important event of his life so far. Ellen noticed his impatience and shook her head, "You know something, you can still back out of this thing."

Dean looked at her, surprise evident in his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"The tournament thing, you can still back out."

He shook his head, "No, I really can't. I have to take this risk," His voice trailed off, Castiel's face flashing across his vision, the look in his eyes when he promised he'd win, that determination.

Ellen's eyes slowly widened as she realized what was going on with the demon, "Oh... I see." She said, a smirk crossed her lips as she started unhooking the machine.

Dean frowned at her, "What?" He asked defensively and pulled away from the hook ups as she attempted to remove them.

"You're in love," She said simply, still smiling at him.

"Wha-!" He couldn't choose a reaction, his eyes wanted to bug out and narrow at Ellen at the same time, "I am not in love with Cas!"

She laughed, "I didn't say who, Dean."

He froze, realizing what he'd just said. His hand slowly rose to his face and he gingerly squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration. What the hell was that? He had only met the angel a few days ago, this kind of feeling was entirely impossible after such a short amount of time, wasn't it? Did something like love have rules to follow? Or was it free?

"Well whatever," Dean stood and grabbed his discarded shirt from the nearby chair and threw it over his head, "Any of the scientists heading out to watch the opening of the tournament? I was hoping I could catch a ride."

Ellen smiled knowingly and nodded, "Yeah, Jo and I are going pretty soon, they assigned different scientists to different applicants so there's going to be a bunch of us there. Not to mention the usual habitat and species experts are going to be watching their respectful creatures, though Bobby will be over seeing that group." She finished packing up the equipment and moved on to the computer to add that week's readings.

"Yeah? So who's Cas' scientist?" He asked, trying not to sound too curious about the angel but the question alone was enough to give him away even further.

Ellen shook her head, "Not in love, eh?" She smirked and turned back to Dean after saving and shutting the computer down. "Let me give you the rundown, Zachariah will be watching Michael, Joshua will be watching Raphael, Bela's got Azazel, Ash and Alastair, Jo and Meg, I'm watching Crowley, Rufus has Henriksen, Becky has Gordon, and Chuck will be overseeing Castiel."

Dean frowned at her, "You did that on purpose." He grumbled angrily.

She shrugged and hefted her bag up, "You comin' or what?"

Before long, Dean found himself in crammed in the backseat of Ellen's car with Ash and Chuck, while she and her daughter sat comfortably up front. Dean glanced at the scruffy looking men next to him and sighed heavily, at least he was next to a window, Chuck was pretty easy to push around. He looked up and stared out the front, watching the arena come into focus. Battles like these had been fought before; the only one he remembered was the fight for his half-brother, Adam.

* * *

 

_I had already been on the Reserve for a_ _few years when they brought Adam in, one of the scientists told me that he was my half brother; my dad had slept around with another woman. I didn't question it; Adam did bear a striking resemblance to what I remembered Dad looking like. He even had a similar 'ability' that I do, though his was much more like a curse than mine. He had a magic charm about him that made absolutely everyone want him, and not in a good way. His presence was known within minutes of his arrival, and everyone was willing to fight over him. I was immune to it, I guess because of family ties or something. But the tournament that came out of it was a battle royal, and everyone intended to rip out the throat of the next fighter._

_Adam couldn't take the fighting anymore, he'd seen it happen so many times before and he didn't want this Reserve to suffer the same way the others had. At the time I hadn't known, but later I was told that his previous homes had massacred themselves in the same way mine was about to. The fighting stopped very suddenly, I remember the shock on everyone's faces as they started to realize what they were doing. No one could understand what had happened, though I knew better than all of them. I wasn't surprised to hear that the habitat specialists found Adam's corpse the next day, his throat slit supposedly by the knife that rested in his hand. I never got the chance to talk to him much, but I sympathized with him. It was then that I started to see myself in a different light, a light that was impossible to extinguish on my own._

* * *

Dean approached the arena alone; the scientists had their own entrances and areas, away from the supernatural crowds. He climbed the stairs to the sitting area for the 'prize', remembering seeing Adam sitting here years ago. He stared down at the chair and swallowed hard, the feeling in his stomach was indescribable, like butterflies and bowling balls all at once. He turned around and took in the sight before him. He could see the entire coliseum spread out below him, the fighters all lined up in the center; apparently he had missed the big speech made by the Reserve's administrators. Every time a fight like this happened an administrator would come out and give a list of rules that the applicants had to abide by. He wasn't entirely sure what they were this time, though he wasn't too eager to ruin the surprise. If a rule was broken then the person would be disqualified, simple as that. If Dean knew the rules or not didn't change the fact that someone would end up breaking them, why bother with the boring speech.

Once the administrators stepped down, the fighters all looked up in his direction, each one getting their own motivation from it.

Dean's eyes narrowed in his anxiety, he scanned the small group down on the ground for the face that he knew would calm him... Where was he? His wasn't among the faces in the group of applicants. Dean's heart sank and he couldn't help the utterance that escaped him, "Cas?"

"Yes?"

Dean snapped his head to his left to see Castiel perched innocently on the edge of his platform, those big blue eyes staring, those soft lips smiling. "Cas!" Dean asked incredulously, "What are you doing up here?"

Cas' smile widened and he leaned over, closer to Dean, "I wanted to reassure you; I will win today." He pressed his lips against Dean's gently to further support his statement.

Before Dean could respond, however, Cas hopped off the edge and spread his wings, gracefully gliding down to his opponents. The others, needless to say, were pissed with him. "Real cute, pretty boy." Crowley smirked as he started toward his area to the side, "Let's see how you do in the first round."

Cas just smiled at them as he went to his side of the arena. He was fighting first today; it had already been decided earlier that morning by a random draw. The tournament would go like this in round 1:

Castiel vs. Gordon; Raphael vs. Henriksen; Azazel vs. Meg; and Alastair vs. Crowley. After that, the winner of the 'Cas vs. Gordon' would fight the winner of the 'Raphael vs. Henriksen' fight; and the winner between Azazel and Meg would fight the winner between Alastair and Crowley. Since there were an odd number of applicants and Michael was famously powerful, he would only be taking part in the third and final rounds.

Cas stood opposite Gordon, the vampire, in the first round. He couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten in the draw that morning; he would only face off against Michael in the final round. Sure, he would end up fighting Raphael first, but he managed to skip all of the demonic power-houses. That was good news, despite having to fight both arch angels in the same day. "You ready?" He called over to Gordon, who only tilted his head up in defiance.

"Was waiting for you," He said slowly as he grit his teeth. His mind was moving as fast as it could, how on earth could he beat an angel? He wasn't sure, but he'd give it a shot.

Cas shrugged, "If you back down now I will let you live." He spoke as if it were an obvious choice, though he knew Gordon wouldn't take this chance.

"Not likely!" Gordon shouted, running at Cas with all of his strength gathering in his fist. Castiel didn't move from where he stood, awaiting the vampire's punch in a calm manner. When it connected with his jaw, the only thing that happened as a result was his head being knocked to the side. Otherwise he didn't even flinch.

Gordon froze; it felt like time had slowed to a stop as he watched the angel's blue eyes turned to look at him, an apologetic look on his face. Cas' hand suddenly shot up and planted itself on Gordon's forehead, a bright light flashing between their skin.

The crowd watched Gordon's lifeless body crumple to the ground, mere seconds after the battle had started. Everyone but the angels present were shocked at how quickly Cas finished it off. Dean smiled brightly, he felt the excitement taking over him as he watched Castiel give a low bow to him and gracefully walk off the battle field. Next up was Raphael and Henriksen, everyone knew the outcome of that fight before it even started.

Dean didn't care to watch the next battle, his eyes were glued on Castiel sitting in the stands, the angel's pride was obvious, even to Dean sitting relatively far away. He glanced over at the scientists who all seemed to be writing feverishly in their journals or whatever. All except Chuck. Dean squinted in confusion at the sight, what on earth was he thinking? They had no information on Castiel, why wasn't he writing?

As he pondered he missed the battle below, Henriksen went basically the same way Gordon did, except Raphael seemed to have a little more trouble than Cas. The first two battles ended within ten minutes, no one had a chance to even settle themselves into their seats yet, let alone dig into their popcorn. And those who were late missed it entirely.

Dean had originally thought that the tournament would take forever, though he had new hopes in place after seeing the speed of the first two battles. Then again, the demons were next and they appeared to be on the same level as their opponents in the first match ups. He glanced down at Cas again and tried to understand the expression on the angel's face. He looked so serious as the next fight came up, Azazel vs. Meg.

* * *

 

_Later on he told me that his serious expression was a result of him trying to get know his possible opponents by watching their fights, though he wasn't too worried about the next battles. Regardless of who won, Azazel, Meg, Alastair, or Crowley, he knew that they'd end up facing Michael first, and he didn't have to know their abilities to know who would win._


	4. Chapter 4

_Even after his fight and the second fight had ended, I still remember sitting awe struck, staring at him. I hadn't expected such power from him, I thought he was just some regular angel, and from what I'd heard at the time archangels were much stronger. Aside from Anna, who never stood a chance against the others, I'd only seen archangels in action. I couldn't have prepared myself for the fights I was watching. I hadn't been present for the big speech at the beginning so I'd missed the part where they decided what kind of battles they'd be fighting. I didn't know it at the time, but I was told later on that he had suggested there be no rules holding them back. He had said he intended to end this once and for all._

_Even now I don't understand what he was thinking, it was just reckless. Though I won't lie, the fact that he was doing it all for me blinded me from how stupid the whole thing was. No rules meant they could kill one another; he had planned on removing anyone who had even considered claiming me as their own. It was a sweet gesture, though it also meant he was in danger of being killed as well, I never doubted that Michael would attempt to take advantage of the whole scenario. I was nothing but a bundle of nerves the entire tournament, I could hardly sit still with my anxiety levels reaching new heights. I couldn't stand just sitting there watching my future being decided, I couldn't help but worry about who would win the battles. I wish I could say I trusted him fully, never faltering. It isn't true, though. I was already prepared to spend the rest of my life with Michael; part of me was considering Adam's way out..._

* * *

Azazel and Meg were up next and the demon crowd that had gathered was on the edge of their seats. A father daughter grudge match to claim the same mate. It was odd, both of them wanting to keep Dean for themselves. Though as they approached one another, the goal of the fight slowly started to change; their motives shifting from greed to pride. Meg had lived under her father's orders like a good soldier, though lately she'd grown tired of his constant preaching. He continued to claim that Lucifer's own blood would be walking among them soon, something he believed would be on par with the devil himself in strength.

She never took anything to heart anymore, not after he used to gloat that their god, Satan, would free them from this torment. He never came and she'd lost hope that he ever would. Now apparently someone with his blood would be showing up? That didn't help, especially if he was locked inside this place as well. As far as she was concerned, this fight would free her from Azazel's domineering hand. She'd never had the opportunity to fight him in a 'no rules' kind of setting, she looked forward to the end of the fight.

Azazel, on the other hand, intended to teach his impudent daughter a lesson. She stopped believing, she stopped listening to him, she started to rebel. In his lifetime, the only way to train your child to obey was to beat them senseless. Fear and pain were the best tools, he found. "Ready?" he asked, practically hissing at her.

She grinned and shifted her weight appropriately, "More than you know."

The arena was silent at first, though as soon as Meg burst forward and the first moves were made no one knew what to say, they could only hold their breath in anticipation. Both creatures in the ring were strong, with the flick of a wrist they could throw a human into a wall if they wanted to. Azazel was a known super-power among the demons, along with all the other demons that entered this tournament. Meg had made a name for herself as one of the most ruthless and cruel, though no one had really watched her fight much. She had a hell of a tongue and a clever mind. Combining that with the knowledge she had on her father, she was more than prepared for this fight.

In a moment where their arms were locked and they were face to face, she stared into those yellow eyes and remembered most of her childhood in a flash. This was her father she was planning on killing in cold blood, a man who took care of her, fed her, clothed her... Then she remembered that he'd only done those things once, for about a day, after that she was on her own. After that she would fend for herself, all he'd do was lecture her and preach at her.

The brief moment their eyes met, Azazel could tell who had the upper hand and what the next move would be; he could see it clearly and knew there was nothing he could do about it. A wave of pride came over him as he watched his little girl go for the kill, he'd trained her well.

Azazel's severed head hit the floor, after a moment's delay the rest of his body followed. Meg stood alone in the ring now, glaring down at the corpse her father left. She said nothing as she exited the arena, off to the changing area to clean the blood off her face.

Cas looked up to Dean's perch, the demon could feel the angel's confidence easily from that distance. The fight hadn't made Cas nervous, though the same couldn't be said for Dean. Meg was fast, a lot stronger than he'd given her credit for. No one had really seen her fight much, this was the first major battle they'd seen her in, and it hadn't taken that long at all. Dean leaned back in his seat and rubbed his face with both hands, his nerves were on fire and he felt more restless the longer he watched.

It took a minute for someone to clear the body out of the ring, but once it was gone Crowley and Alastair stepped forward. Both were old school demons, both had a different connection to their home world and this one. Alastair tortured for a living, Crowley made deals. Most people that were betting on the fights put their money on Alastair to win, he had more experience with getting down and dirty, and with different tools. The ones who put their money on Crowley knew him well enough to see past the basic arena setting.

"I'll let you back out," Alastair teased in that incredibly annoying voice, "If you're too scared to face me."

"No, not scared at all." Crowley gave a confident and charming smile, casually swirling a glass of wine in his palm. "Actually I'm more relaxed now than before,"

Alastair's eyes narrowed slightly, though he wasn't one to fall for stupid tricks like that. Both demons had a tendency to play along with their 'toy's' little jokes and bluffs, "Oh, well that's good to hear." He said simply, trying to avoid curiosity and letting Crowley know he itching to find out what had calmed him down.

Crowley stood in silence, his face practically beaming, his smile not vanishing. "Aren't you curious?" he asked playfully, lifting his glass in Alastair's direction.

The torture master shrugged, "Sure, enlighten me. Why are you so relieved?"

"The timing." Crowley said plainly, taking a sip of his wine. "Ah, good stuff."

Alastair frowned, "The timing of what?"

"Of our match, of course. Do you remember before the tournament started today? They gave us each a 'last supper' kind of deal; we get whatever meal we wish, like death row inmates or something." His teeth poked through his smile as he clearly enjoyed the part of the story he was getting to, "See, it seems that no one remembers that we decided on a 'no rules' tournament, meaning that once it started anything was allowed."

"Get to the point; I'm getting excited about the idea of ripping your head off." Alastair said impatiently, starting to feel a little weak in the knees. If he was getting sick he'd prefer to end the match before whatever it was hit him.

"See, point is, the tourney started when they took our orders for those last meals." He casually stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a vile, "Poison, my friend. A demonic poison specially made by our lovely bio-genetic scientists. I thought the other fights would take longer and you'd be forced to forfeit due to death and I'd win be default. I put this in all of the demons' meals, Azazel died before his started to sink in, I suspect Meg is having difficulties in the change room as we speak. And you?" He let out a very 'business man' kind of chuckle, "Well you're dying right now."

Alastair's eyes widened as he felt his insides burning, "Where's the cure?" he spat out, rage increasing his blood flow and pressure.

"Now now, calm down. You're only making it work faster." Crowley smirked as he watched Alastair's paling body hit its knees. "Once it starts up it's almost impossible to stop, it moves much too quickly."

Alastair's painful death was slow, agonizingly so. Cas didn't looked fazed by the scene in front of him, he knew full well that Crowley couldn't have gotten something like that for himself and Michael, it'd just be stupid to try. For one, Cas didn't eat so it wasn't a concern for him. And secondly the scientists didn't have enough on angels to be able to make a poison to kill them, not yet anyway.

Crowley drifted out of the arena, people couldn't help but applaud him for his use of the 'no rules' rule. The others should have seen it coming, Crowley was a crafty fellow and as their opponent they should have looked into that further. Cas, for one, audibly clapped his hands for the performance. It was well played on the demon's part, that was undeniable.

Dean shook his head, that was just a dirty trick. How could they let something like that really happen? What if something like that happened to Cas? Just killed off by some stupid trick? That wasn't fair, to have Cas taken from him like that... he wouldn't be able to stand it.

Cas was up next again, this time it was against Raphael, a fellow angel, an archangel. Cas and Raphael both seemed to appear in the arena at the same time, like teleportation though everyone knew better than that. The angels stared at one another, Raphael cracked his neck on both sides with ease, prepping his body for the fight they were about to have. "You don't stand a chance, Castiel." He said boldly, his ego inflating to the point it was almost visible.

Cas rolled his eyes and removed the trench coat he'd been wearing. "Are we going to do this or are you going to pretend you've won for a while?" He tossed the coat and his tie off to the side, out of their fighting range. He didn't want to give Raphael anything to latch on to, though he wasn't terribly worried.

Michael started to pay attention from his seat, the earlier fights didn't really interest him because he knew he'd beat the others no problem. However he considered Raphael to be more of a threat and intended to see how he would handle this upstart. Michael would have preferred to take Castiel down himself, though watching someone else humiliate the new comer before being able to reach Michael was good enough.

Castiel slowly started to walk toward Raphael, each footstep was planned, each breath was taken into account. The archangel's eyes were locked into the blue beauties that stared back; he refused to back down to Castiel's advances until the new angel was standing almost nose to nose with him. A glint in Cas' eyes caused a hitch in Raphael's breathing. He saw something behind those eyes that he hadn't seen in years.

Cas' beautiful smile slowly crossed his features, "So you can see it, then you already know the outcome of our fight."

Raphael growled at Castiel's insolence, "You think you have His approval? That He is behind your actions? Don't be so arrogant!" Raphael's fist swung in at invisible speeds for a normal eye to see, though it was interrupted by Castiel's forearm.

"Maybe He is, maybe He isn't. Regardless, I'm still fresh out of heaven." Cas' rough voice lowered to a hushed whisper as he leaned up to Raphael's stunned ear, "And you and the others have been cut off from your power supply for far too long. This is no contest."

Raphael's eyes widened suddenly before he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Castiel was wielding and angel blade and had it embedded deep in the archangel's ribcage. "I hope you regret ever targeting Dean, you sorry excuse for an archangel." The words scraping out of throat were the last things that Raphael heard as he lost himself in a flash of light, the imprint of his wings evident in the dirt below Castiel's feet.

His blue eyes shifted to Michael's undeniably shocked expression, his full lips mouthing the words 'you're next' as he started back for his seat.


	5. Chapter 5

_His face, his body, the way he moved, everything about him was perfect. I couldn't take my eyes off of him through his entire fight, though a lot of that could be contributed to the fact that I was terrified. I hated watching him fight, every time he did I was that much closer to losing him. I was done with the tournament at that point; his next battle was the last one of the competition, the most important one. I was confident that I wouldn't be able to take watching it, yet I knew I could never miss it. However the next fight wasn't as important, I'd decided to go see him._

* * *

Dean had managed to sneak around all the watching eyes and made it to the fight quarters. It was the second last one; most people weren't going to walk away now. He slowly creaked the heavy wooden door open to Castiel's side of the arena. Sure enough, there was his angel, sitting quietly on a bench, awaiting his turn. "Cas," Dean whispered, knowing he couldn't venture into Cas' private area, it was visible to everyone in the stands. He knew this because he could see his angel from his high perch, so obviously everyone else could too.

Cas glanced back, Dean saw those blue eyes light up with life the moment they gazed at him, "Dean," Cas stood up and walked to the doorway, "It has been a while, how are you?"

Dean smiled, his eyes scanning Castiel's lean torso as it rested against the doorframe, "I'm okay..." he said dreamily, he hadn't been close to Cas for about a day now and he'd already missed the smell of him. Dean was more than lost in his eyes; it felt like the world had slowed down just for them. Then he remembered why he'd come to Cas' area in the first place, "I mean," he shook his head, "I'm worried about you, Michael's the strongest creature here and-"

"Shhh," Cas gently placed a finger to Dean's lips, "He was the strongest, Dean. That's what I am about to change. Please, have faith in me."

Dean's eyes widened slightly, the confidence in Castiel's voice was nowhere near arrogant, it sounded more like he was very well informed. Dean recalled the image of Cas taking Raphael down without breaking so much as a sweat, the calm way he stepped over the body and off the arena floor. "I believe in you," he whispered as he started to back away, "You'd better not lose, Castiel." Cas only smiled and nodded, slowly turning back to watch as Crowley and Michael entered the ring.

Crowley looked too calm to have a plan, his hands shoved casually into his pockets, though anyone who knew him knew that the way he stood was a hint; he was still thinking. Michael, however, was more than enraged by the last performance; he stalked up to Crowley with nothing but destruction on his mind. The two stood across from one another, both appeared entirely ready for the next event.

Michael's fingers twitched as he envisioned tearing Crowley's throat out, piece by piece. Crowley, his face calm and his posture relaxed, looked like he didn't care at all. The bell was about to ring when Crowley waved his hand above his head, "Excuse me," he said, "I'd like to withdraw."

The crowd fell quiet; no one knew what to say, "What?" Michael broke the silence with a rather rude exclamation, "You  _withdraw_?"

"That's what I said, halo-boy. None too bright, are ye?" he chuckled and walked out of the arena, his hands still casually shoved into his pockets. Michael fumed for a moment but calmed down, that meant he was one step closer to fighting Castiel, he turned to the seated angel and nodded his head arrogantly.

"Coming? Or are you giving up too?" His voice seemed to rub Castiel the wrong way because he was in the ring before Michael could finish his sentence.

Cas' blue eyes stared coldly into Michael's smug face, "I hope you understand that when I defeat you today, you will not be coming back. I will kill you, Michael."

Michael laughed at that, "You'll kill me, will you?" He looked Castiel's slender form up and down, "And with what powers? You are just an angel, Castiel. I am an archangel, there is a massive difference in strength between us."

"Did you not see me take Raphael?" Cas asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

Michael shook his head, "I saw, it wasn't anything special. You got lucky with a blade."

Cas smiled, rolling his eyes to look at his brother, "Then you have no idea what you're in store for."

Michael scoffed at him and took a step back to balance himself, "Then show me."

The bell rang and in an instant they both flared their power at one another, sending a wave of pressure into the crowd and knocking majority of them off their seats. The closer and weaker they were, the further and harder they flew. This power boasting lasted for several minutes, a few members of the crowd actually suffered from exploding heads due to the amount of strength that was being flexed before them. Dean was higher up and in a somewhat protective force-field, this was meant to defend the prize from any powers that might fly astray.

As the pressure died down, everyone looked at the two combatants; Michael stumbled a little but remained strong while Castiel didn't even flinch. White wings sprouted from their backs and it was plain for everyone to see how much more pure Cas was then Michael, his wings stung to look at while everyone had seen Michael's without an issue. Castiel lifted his head slightly, an ironic smile aimed at his brother, "Can you see it, yet?" He asked, his voice calm and unfazed by the amount of power he'd just flaunted and energy he'd lost doing it.

Michael, struggling to stand as straight and strong as Cas, forced his shoulders back and lifted his chin in response, "That you're an insolent angel that needs to learn his place?"

Cas closed his eyes and shook his head, "I guess not," he sighed and his wings flexed visibly before he vanished to an untrained eye.

Michael hadn't moved, normally his fights had ended by now. The amount of power he put into that boast earlier was too much, but if it had been any less he would have lose to Castiel. How did an angel get so much power? He spun around and parried the angel blade that was just about to connect with his spinal cord, "I don't think so," he smirked, "Have you forgotten that I am the strongest angel?"

"No," Cas' expression hadn't changed, his eyes unwavering as they stared into Michael's, "I have not forgotten that you were His most powerful. But that was when you were still with Him." Cas took a quick step back and lunged forward again, connecting the blades this time and started pushing Michael backward, "Since you were unattainable, He needed a new one."

Michael's widened slightly, he ducked down and rolled backward along with Castiel's force to avoid the blade, leaping back to his feet, "What do you mean? How was I unattainable?"

Cas glanced at one of the massive walls surrounding the Reserve, "No one could reach you, how could He get you back?"

"He could come get me Himself."

"We both know that isn't how He works. You also know that you disobeyed Him by coming here in the first place." Cas started taking careful steps in Michael's direction, his eyes watching the archangel's position carefully. "So you have to suffer the consequences of your actions, as all of us have had to do."

"Why are you here, then?" Michael scowled, starting to feel less and less like conversing with Castiel, and more and more like killing him.

"I was given a mission," Cas said simply, vanishing even to Michael's vision.

Michael's eyes widened as he watched brilliantly white feathers flutter past his face, he felt Castiel's hot breath on his neck and the coldness of the blade slowly presses against the top of his spinal cord. How had Castiel gotten behind him so quickly? "I am to destroy these Reserves." He whispered, his gravelly voice giving his words a strange edge, "I've taken out all but two now,"

"How... No one here even knows the others are missing," Michael whispered back, glancing over his shoulder at the blade pinned to his neck.

"I know, I told you, He has given me this mission. He is behind me and I have faith that it will be carried out the way he intends it." Cas smiled, "And He gave no instructions on how, He said it was up to me, as long as the Reserves are removed and all the corrupt along with them."

Michael swallowed hard, he'd fallen out of favour with his father somehow, "How could you beat me? You're just an angel." He was dying to know.

"I told you, He needed a new archangel since he'd lost all of his others." He started to put much more force on the blade, slowly pushing it into Michael's spine, "I was chosen. I am not just an angel, I am an archangel." He spoke those last words loud enough for the crowd to hear him, to know that he was not something to be handled lightly.

A bright flash of light force the entire stadium to cover their eyes, Michael's agonized scream seemed to fade as the light did, his body slumping to the ground. Cas stepped onto and over his wings. Since Michael had them out and fully visible, they weren't just an imprint by his corpse, they were solid and easily step-on-able.

Dean almost shrieked for joy as he watched that bastard's lifeless body hit the ground. "Oh my God! Cas you won!" he stepped onto the edge of his perch and leapt off, not doubting for a second that Castiel would catch him. And sure enough, he felt a rush of wind before he felt Cas' strong arms holding him up.

"Hello, beautiful." Cas smiled, his eyes looking Dean up and down, "You're mine now."

Dean couldn't stop smiling; his blush had taken over his face, making his teeth look even whiter than normal. He nodded quickly before burying his face in Cas' chest, nuzzling him, "Thank you," he whispered, tears of joy slipping down his cheeks.

Cas lifted Dean's head up gently and kissed him on the lips, neither of them intending to stop it. The crowd clapped enthusiastically, happy for the entertainment. At that moment Chuck stood and clapped more vigorously than the others. Everyone stood and after a while they were all gone, though Cas and Dean hadn't noticed, they were locked into that kiss and neither paid any attention. Cas finally broke it and smiled at his new lover, "I am so glad I met you."

Dean laughed, "I think you stole my line."

Cas shook his head, landing on the edge of Dean's window sill. Dean hadn't even noticed that Castiel had flown all the way to his place already. "No, before you looked into the back of that truck I was terrified." Cas opened the window with ease and stepped inside, placing Dean gently in the bed and crawling in beside him. Another thing Dean hadn't noticed was that Cas had picked up his tie and trench coat somewhere along the line.

"You? Terrified?" He had a hard time picturing it, "Why?"

"Me getting captured was not part of the plan." Cas removed both of their shoes and socks, tossing them to the floor, "I was frightened, I couldn't hear His voice when I was collared. The net hurt more than I had anticipated and the way they've set up the collars and the sensor points... I didn't expect to be able to leave, so I accepted my fate. But somehow, I heard Him after the first meeting with the scientists. He told me that this was part of His plan, what I do inside the Reserve is mostly up to me, though He would be giving me instructions along the way."

Dean frowned for a moment, "So... Was I part of the plan?"

"Part of mine," Cas smiled and carefully removed their pants, tossing both pairs to the floor. He ran his fingers up the inside of Dean's right thigh, hooking the base of his shirt and pulling it over his head.

Dean shuddered, Cas' returned to his hipline and ran across his midsection, getting to know his property. "So..." Dean smiled, "What's the plan for tonight?"

Cas removed his own shirt in a quick movement, dropping it off the edge of the bed, "Cuddling," he said casually, putting his arm behind Dean's head.

Dean sat in shock, "Wait, didn't you want-"

"I do, but I don't want to rush it." He leaned over and kissed Dean again, "I'm too tired now to enjoy it, so I'll do it differently and enjoy you on my arm, instead."

Dean blushed, "You..." he looked at Cas' exhausted smile and felt safer and more comfortable than he had in a long time. "Thank you, Cas."

"No problem, sweetheart."

* * *

 

_I hadn't been referred to so kindly before, I hadn't ever been treated like a real person before. He was everything I ever wanted and more. I hadn't expected someone like him to come along in my lifetime, I thought I'd follow in Adam's footsteps and remove myself from the equation. It wasn't a glamorous decision, but I figured that it was the only one I had._

_Then he showed up, he saved my life and my future. I could hardly believe that he was there with me, he did everything for me without hesitation, he never doubted me and he was forever faithful. I couldn't have asked for a better mate. I couldn't ever take another one, he'll be in my heart always._


	6. Chapter 6

_Everything was good for the next year, nothing went wrong. He was respected, he was loved, and he never betrayed anyone, always returning what they gave him. His power was never rivalled and no one tried to take anything from him, so he never killed anyone else. He didn't try to take something that wasn't his and always played fair. The scientists grew to enjoy his company, though every time he returned from his daily sessions he had a rather sour expression for at least an hour. I wished I could help him, but aside from that we were perfect together._

_We never did anything alone, he wouldn't leave my side unless I told him to, or he had to. We walked together; we talked every day, always deep and meaningful discussions at least once in the 24 hours. His sex drive was a lot higher than I had expected, though mine wasn't anything to sneeze at. I never liked sex because it was always with Michael, and he was a douche bag. After the first time with Cas... well... He was amazing, for someone who still held onto his virginity before that night, he was the best I'd ever had. I didn't know cum could taste so good, I didn't know anal could feel so good. He was all I had ever wanted and all I would ever need._

_Of course, everyone has those thoughts that tend to lean more toward normalcy. You know, the whole family thing, married with kids. During one of our conversations, I had brought up lifelong dreams and told him about how I used to imagine marrying someone nice and having two or three kids with them. I hadn't expected it to come up again..._

* * *

Dean sat comfortably in their new home; they'd gotten one of the houses instead of each having separate apartments. Dean always thought he'd resent being in a house meant for two, though he always thought that he'd end up sharing it with Michael so it kind of made sense. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, listening to some of his old favourites. They'd been together for about a year now; just last week had been the anniversary of when Castiel won the tournament. He sat smiling, thinking about how their first night was together. Cas respected him and cuddled him instead of trying for a night of romping sex. It was a good start to their romance, one that neither would ever regret.

Of course Castiel hadn't stayed timid for long, after the first few days he started to get frisky and then they had sex at least once a day. Once Cas got a taste for it there was no going back. Dean grinned, remembering the shock he'd experienced when he heard Castiel say that he was a virgin. It made sense, an angel being a virgin, but Dean just couldn't imagine someone as amazing as Castiel  _not_  having sex at least once. He started to doze off when he suddenly got the sense that someone was coming, he looked toward the window as it gently blew open.

"Dean I have the solution." Castiel fluttered into the room, a big, goofy smile on his face. He took several quick steps until he nestled himself next to Dean on their couch. "I can make your dream come true."

Dean furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about? You've already done that."

Cas shook his head, "No no, you said you wanted to marry someone and have some kids with them, right?"

Dean shrugged and nodded. "Well, yeah I guess." He shifted a little and looked Cas up and down, "What are you getting at?"

Cas' smile widened, "Come on, I'll show you." He picked Dean up and flew out the window again. Dean never got used to flying; it was much too fast for his taste. He wrapped his arms desperately around Cas' neck, his face buried into Cas' shoulder. The angel smiled and held onto his lover tightly, "Don't worry, I've got you."

Dean only nodded, not moving from his clinging position. He did notice that they had stopped moving, though he could tell they were still in mid air. The breeze from Castiel's wings was nice, even with his eyes shut he could still see their glow. He also noticed a faint echo, the sound of people bustling about somewhere below him. He quivered, by the sound of their distant voices, he really didn't want to open his eyes for fear of being almost outside the atmosphere. "How high up are we?"

"Not that high."

Dean sighed heavily, "Of course, you're an angel, nothing's that high up to you."

"Well there's that, but mostly it's because I can't fly past a certain point on the Reserve, remember?" Cas' voice was calm and non-insulting, though Dean didn't take it that way.

 

"Shut up, smart ass." He opened his eyes and peered down, seeing the arena far below him. "What's this about?" he muttered.

"You can't see it from here?" Cas smiled, slowly lowering them toward the stadium. The closer they got the more Dean could make out, the arena was closed off, the roof was extended across the top. He realized that there were bright letters written across the roof in what looked to be beautiful white paint.

Dean focused on the words and read them out loud;  _"Dean, will you marry me?"_  He hadn't quite realized what he'd just said until the words finally settled in his mind. He looked at Cas again, this time realizing that the angel had a warm look in his eyes, a bright smile on his face. "Cas, I don't understand. Why are you asking me this? You claimed me last year-"

"Shh," Cas placed his finger on Dean's lips, "I want to do it right, I want to ask you, not demand things of you."

Dean smiled again, tears welling up in his eyes. Castiel was too perfect. "Of course I'll marry you!" he wrapped his arms around Cas' shoulders, burying his face into the angel's neck.

Cas smiled and raised his hand to the roof of the arena, forcing it to open for them. Dean looked down again to see the stadium open up to reveal a wedding ceremony entirely set up and ready for them. "Let's do it now, then." Castiel said softly, continuing to lower them to the ground.

Dean looked around at all the decorations put up, different banners hung on the stands, all the people situated there. It looked like everyone showed up for this one, though Dean wasn't entirely surprised by it, Cas was the strongest one on the Reserve and everyone wanted to be respectful. He looked down at the long carpet leading to a center platform; everything was so beautiful and perfect. He covered his mouth, tears falling down his cheeks. "Oh my god Cas, it's amazing." He said trying not to sob.

Cas smiled and kissed the top of Dean's head, "I'm glad you like it."

They landed in the center of the arena before the Reserve's hired 'justice of the peace'. Cas still had his arm around Dean after they touched ground, he nodded to the man standing in front of them who immediately began the ceremony. Dean was on the verge of tears throughout the entire thing, he still wasn't used to being treated so well.

They turned to one another, "You may now kiss for the first time as a married couple." Cas smiled and pulled Dean in, one arm around Dean's lower back and the other gently holding the back of his head. Their lips met and neither wanted to back away, neither wanted that moment to end. It was perfect, it was more than Dean thought he deserved. He treasured that kiss, the first one as Castiel's husband, the moment he swore he'd think more of himself. They finally broke the kiss, the cheering of the crowd starting to subside.

They stared into each other's eyes, both locked in. "I love you," Dean whispered, tears almost falling again.

"I love you too." Cas leaned in and kissed him again.

* * *

 

_After that there was a big feast out in the fields, they'd set up rows and rows of tables with just about anything on them. I was so excited; I ate so many cheeseburgers and pie that day... It was the best meal of my life, well, the best tasting anyway. Everyone was cheery, no fighting no arguing, just having a good time. I think I even saw sharing that day._

_The partying went late into the night, though the scientists and Reserve owners don't allow us any alcohol, we made do with what we had. In general, people just did crazy shit without the assistance of a buzz. I can still see the look on his face after we'd snuck off from the rest of the party over to the Reserve's lake. I removed all of my clothes and jumped in, teasing him with silly things. He followed suit, his clothing came off in a flash and he was on top of me in half the time. We swam together for what felt like hours, though I'm pretty sure it had only been one or two._

_We made it back to our house around 3am, though we weren't really keeping track of time. I made him run back with me, no flying. I wanted to see him travel on the ground for once, though seeing him run naked definitely had something to do with it._

* * *

"That was incredible!" Dean laughed as he tossed the clothes he'd been carrying to the floor, "I can't believe you set that all up today."

Cas just smiled, dropping his clothing in the same pile as Dean's, "Yes, it was a little harder than I had expected." He walked up and wrapped his arms around Dean, his chest planted against the man's back. "So... you want to do something else for the first time as a married couple?" He grinned, leaning down and licking Dean's neck.

A shiver ran up Dean's spine, creating goose bumps on his skin. "What did you have in mind?" He asked innocently, glancing over his shoulder and into the lustful gaze of his new husband.

Castiel's smile told him everything he needed to know, even before the angel's arms hoisted him up and carried him to their bed. He felt his back hit the cool sheets and let out a light sigh, Castiel's slender form climbing on top of him and pinning him to the bed. Gentle kisses quickly became more passionate as the friction between started to heat up.

Cas started to rock his hips forward, brushing his erection against Dean's, forcing more contact between them. He smiled as he watched Dean's expressions, he was more adorable than he seemed to realize. They'd done this quite a few times already but this time seemed just as special as their first. Cas slowly ran his hands up Dean's torso, starting at his hips and sliding onto his abdomen and up his chest. His fingers stopped at his soul mate's nipples and pinched them, he grinned at the attempt Dean made to muffle his squeak. Dean's breathing was slowly increasing, he writhed beneath Cas, starting to protest the teasing.

The angel smiled again and lowered his touch, sliding his hands lightly along the insides of Dean's thighs. He brought his fingers in close to the swollen member but barely grazed past it, enjoying the squirming he was getting out of his significant other. Dean moaned and bucked his hips upward toward Cas' hand, close to begging.

Cas wrapped his fingers around Dean's aching cock and started a rhythmic motion, pumping it gently at first. He watched Dean's eyes roll back as he finally got the touch he was looking for, a dramatic increase in his breathing pattern was a good indication, too of course. Cas thumbed the head as the pre-cum started leaking out, using it to lubricate his strokes. He quickened his pace and started to breathe heavily as well, he was definitely turned on by the sight though he had breathed heavier to help stimulate Dean's experience. They moved together, Dean's hips and Cas' hand, both knew that Dean was close.

Cas didn't want to risk missing out, so he let go of Dean's twitching dick and leaned over it, sliding it into his warm mouth, flicking his tongue across the tip as he did so. Dean moaned loudly, almost crying out as he felt the heat and pressure of Cas' mouth wrap around him. His back arched, he was so close.

Cas bobbed his head up and down, lightly scraping his teeth along the sensitive skin to get more of a variety out of Dean's groans. He smiled as he heard the sudden inhalation, Dean started letting higher pitched exclamations out, softly calling Cas' name. With one more flick of the tongue Cas felt a rush of semen in his mouth as Dean relieved himself.

Dean slowly lowered his back onto the bed again, his legs relaxing and his breathing calming down. "Oh my god Cas..." he sighed, rolling his head around to look at his angel, "You just keep getting better at this."

Cas wiped his mouth and licked his fingers, "Maybe, though I think a big part of it is you opening up to more and more." He crawled up and kissed Dean on the cheek, "Thank you for that."

Dean blushed and kissed him back, "You're welcome, I guess."

Cas crawled over him again, perching above him. His smile told Dean that things were about to get fun, he wriggled beneath Castiel and wrapped his legs up and around the angel's waist. "Fuck me, Cas." He whispered, his eyes staring into the blue orbs that refused to look away from him.

"You got it," Cas whispered back, his voice low and seductive. He reached over to the bedside and grabbed the tube of lubricant they always had ready. After greasing himself and Dean's entrance, he pressed first then penetrated. Moving slowly to ease Dean into it, Cas noticed that it was getting progressively easier to start intercourse, he didn't have to be as gentle or move slowly for long.

Dean's expression softened, giving Castiel the go-ahead to start pushing harder, deeper. And he did. Cas' pace quickened as did his breathing. He loved the feel of Dean's insides, plus the demon had amazing control over his anal muscles. Cas' tolerance had grown, he could endure the pleasure much longer now than he could at first, though when Dean was into it like he was that night, Cas had to try even harder to hold out. He didn't want to disappoint his lover.

Dean's head was pushed back into the pillows, his eyes opened to look into Castiel's lustful gaze, though what he saw there was much more than he'd expected. There was lust, definitely, but it was almost covered by a look of complete adoration and love. Dean felt a wave of emotions wash over him, sex had become more than just a pleasurable pass time; it was special and meant a lot to both of them. They could connect with one another in this space, wrapped in each other's arms; physically they were one person, mentally and spiritually. It was incredible, and more than Dean had imagined it ever would be, he always thought it'd be a physical joy but that was it. He didn't expect to connect with someone like he had with Castiel.

Cas let out a low moan and Dean felt the cum inside him, splashing warm against his insides. He loved it when Cas did that, always leaving a piece of himself behind to stay with Dean. This time it felt a little different though, it felt better, cleaner, even magical. He shuddered as he felt it slide further into him; he decided not to question it, though Cas' smile was definitely something worse asking about.

"Why are you grinning?" Dean asked quietly, he felt exhausted after the day's events.

"You'll see," Cas kissed him and wrapped the blankets around them, deciding it was more fun to sleep in their mess than to shower then sleep. They cuddled for a bit but both were too tired to stay up and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

 

_Looking back now, I'm glad I didn't question him any more than I had. The surprise was worth it._


	7. Chapter 7

_After about 15 weeks I started to notice changes in myself, my eating habits had gone out of whack, my emotions had gone haywire, and everything I did just seemed to make him smile. I yelled a lot, I cried a lot, I threw everything at him. One time I recall taking frame after frame off the wall and hurling them in his direction. He avoided them all easily, of course, which only pissed me off more. It was awful, no matter how much I ate I never seemed to be satisfied, plus the more time that went by I had to use the bathroom more frequently._

_He was incredibly patient with me. After 20 weeks I noticed that I'd been gaining weight and was getting a bit of a belly. I tried to hide it from him but the moment he saw it a wide smile spread over his lips. I should have seen it at that moment but I hadn't._

* * *

"What are you grinning about?" Dean asked, defensive and agitated, his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"What are you trying to hide from me?" Cas asked smoothly, following Dean as he tried to escape the angel's sight. "Come on, let me see."

Dean continued to move away from his spouse, "I said no! There's nothing here, just back off!"

"You'll have to get naked around me some time, come on." Cas pleaded, taking hold of Dean's arms. At that moment there was nothing he could do, Cas had him now. The angel unravelled his defences and squatted down to inspect the growing lump. "Awe, this?" He looked up at Dean with a smile, "This is nothing, why are you so upset?"

Dean frowned and covered his belly again, "Shut up, is too something." He marched angrily to their room and slammed the door. After flopping into the bed and curling up he heard a gentle tapping at the door.

"You know I can just fly in, right?" Cas' voice sounded calm as he stated the obvious, trying not to offend Dean by saying so.

"If you love me, you'll leave me alone." Dean growled.

In a moment Castiel was on the bed next to him, "Now that isn't fair," he whispered, brushing Dean's hair lightly, "I'll always love you, no matter what. In fact, if I hadn't come in here I would have neglected you, and that isn't part of love. You're my soul mate, Dean. I want to be wherever you are, even if you don't want me there." He leaned over and kissed Dean's forehead. "Come on, show me that gorgeous smile."

Dean lifted his head and stared into those big blue eyes that seemed to be sparkling, "Okay," he caved and leaned up, returning Cas' kiss. "I love you too."

"That's better." Cas smirked and started removing Dean's clothes, "What do you say to a little afternoon fun?"

"I'm in." Dean said excitedly, helping Cas do the job.

* * *

 

_Everything was fine for a while, the same general patterns playing out once in a while. It was a few weeks later that I really figured out what was going on. My stomach was the only thing expanding; no matter how much I exercised or dieted it didn't shrink, though everything else did. I remember how pissed I was with him, though all he did was reassure me that it was going to be okay, that it was what I wanted. At the time, I couldn't see past the fact that he 'hadn't asked me', though really he already did. I told him what my dream was, that was permission, in his eyes._

* * *

"How could you!" Dean screamed, throwing one of their glass cups at Castiel, who caught it and placed it down. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he reached for more ammo.

"Calm down, Dean." Cas said softly, no anger evident in his voice, "Don't worry, this is what you wanted."

"Not like this, you idiot!" Dean wailed, finding a plate and whipping it across the kitchen. Once again, Castiel caught it.

"I didn't foresee your hormones being this unbalanced," Cas muttered to himself.

"What was that!" Dean's tone could hardly even be placed, angry, sad, and insane, it was all starting to slur together.

"I mean most pregnant individuals don't react this way, I think you have a hormonal imbalance." Cas said casually, catching another flying object and gently putting it somewhere else. "I can help,"

"You've helped enough! Leave me alone!" Dean had stopped throwing things now, he tried to wipe the tears away but more fell, "How could you?" He whimpered, dropping to his knees.

Cas crossed the floor immediately and knelt next to Dean, his arms around his spouse almost instantly. "It'll be okay, Dean. This is a miracle; it is a gift for you." He whispered, "I'm trying to give you your dreams," his voice was almost silent when he whispered the last part, though Dean still heard it. They sat together in silence for hours.

* * *

 

_Lately I've been wishing I could have told him what he meant to me in that moment, I wish I could apologize for how I acted. I didn't speak to him for about 3 days after that argument, I was irrational and angry. Though after the three days I calmed down and went to him again._

* * *

Castiel sat quietly on the couch, watching the clock tick by, when Dean slowly shuffled into the room. Cas turned his head and watched his lover, though he didn't say a word, he knew that speaking during this time was useless, Dean wasn't talking to him.

"Hey," Dean said hoarsely, not sure what to say.

With a pleasantly surprised expression, Cas smiled and nodded, "Hello, Dean." He shifted his body to fully face his spouse, trying to hide his excitement over hearing Dean's voice again.

"Can... we do this together?" Dean whispered awkwardly, averting his eyes.

In a flash Castiel was in front of Dean, holding his hands, "Of course we will, we've been doing it together from the start, my love." He leaned forward and pressed their lips together, placing a hand behind Dean's head to pull him into it. Backing away again he didn't take his eyes away from Dean's, "I love you."

Dean smiled and nodded, "I love you too, Castiel." He sighed and shook his head, "Where do I start?"

Cas laughed, "Don't worry about it, I have it all under control."

Dean frowned but shrugged, "If you say so."

_After that we fought much less and did everything that was necessary to keep me and the baby healthy. I still can't believe how thoughtful he was, he joined me on the diets and the workouts. Though it was only two weeks later that we had an 'unpleasant' encounter with an old friend. I'm actually being nice, it was a traumatizing experience with an old enemy we thought we'd never see again._

Dean stood outside his favourite burger joint, waiting patiently for Castiel to return with his cheeseburger and pie. Though 'patience' wasn't one of his strong points, the pie was worth it. So he stood quietly, watching the clouds pass by. It was a beautiful day, the breeze was cool and the sun was warm. It was perfect for a day in the park, which was where they were headed once they had their food.

He sighed lightly and ran his hand along his extended abdomen, he couldn't feel movement yet but he was looking forward to it. It'd only been two weeks (and three days) since he'd found out, but he was okay with it. Hell, he was more than okay; he was excited! He had an absolutely perfect husband, one that did more than enough for him, and he was about to start a family with that perfect man. He couldn't believe how he'd lucked out, considering where he was two years ago; Michael's personal sex slave and willing to shoot himself in the head.

As Dean pondered and reminisced, a dark shadow fell over him. He looked up excitedly, expecting to see his angel standing above him with a take-out bag. However his eyes met those of the demon Crowley's and his expression fell instantly. "Oh, it's you." He said coldly.

"Now that isn't very nice," Crowley smiled, "I thought we were friends?"

"When did that happen?" Dean adjusted his position, shielding his stomach.

Crowley's eyes, just slightly, glanced down and back up at Dean's face. His grin growing, "Alright well we weren't exactly friends, but I did stop trying to claim you during that tournament."

Dean almost snorted a laugh at that, "Are you kidding? You quit because you knew you stood no chance against Michael or Cas, and you would have had to fight them both in a row, there was no way you could've won."

"As true as that may be, I gave up because I decided that I didn't want you that badly," Crowley said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, well then thank you." Dean's voice practically dripped with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. "What do you want? Get to the point."

Crowley just continued to smile, "You're too cruel, you know that?" After receiving another disagreeable look from the annoyed Winchester, he raised his hands, "Alright, alright, the point, I know. I just came to see how you were doing, is all."

Dean's expression shifted from annoyed to disbelieving. "Bullshit."

Crowley frowned, "Well that's-"

"That's what?" Castiel's gravelly voice washed over them, sending a wave of relief over Dean and disappointment over Crowley.

The demon just turned his charms on the angel and shrugged, "Perfectly natural, that'd he think that anyway."

Cas looked Crowley up and down, "Get away from him." He practically growled.

"But I was just-"

"Now, Crowley."

Crowley's expression grew angry for a moment, though it vanished just as quickly as it had come. "Touchy, touchy." He said as he walked away, glancing over his shoulder at Dean, "See you later."

Cas sneered after him, then turned to Dean again, "You okay?"

"Great, now that you're here." Dean smiled excitedly again, this time at the right man.

Cas smiled back, taking his lover's hand gently and started leading him toward the park. "I've got pie."

Dean laughed, "Well good, I told you to get it."

They laughed as they approached the park, everything aside from that little run in had been perfect, though it left an uncomfortable feeling in Dean's stomach. They stayed in the park until sunset, intended to watch it together. They sat side by side in the grass until they saw the last bits of sunlight fall behind the Reserve's wall, making them both sigh. "I want to get out of here." Dean whispered, staring at the darkening sky.

Cas looked at him then back up and nodded his head, "I will make that happen, I promise."

Dean glanced at his angel, not knowing how he could promise something like that, though what Dean really wasn't sure of was how he could believe a promise like that. Either way, he smiled and rested his head on Castiel's shoulder, "I love you."

"I love you too." Cas leaned over and kissed the top of Dean's head. They sat like that for a few more minutes before Dean stood awkwardly.

"I gotta take a leak." He headed toward the park's restrooms, "Be right back."

Cas nodded, knowing that Dean didn't like being followed to the bathroom and that it was a bad idea to irritate him in his current state. "I'll be here."

Dean smiled and continued on his way, reaching the bathrooms in no time and relieving himself. As he stood washing his hands, he heard footsteps approaching. "Couldn't sit without me for five minutes?" he said jokingly, turning around.

Again, he was expecting to see Castiel's smiling face, and again his eyes met Crowley's. Time started to slow down as Dean's gaze shifted from the demon's hideous grin to the switchblade in his hand. His breath hitched, his voice caught in his throat, and he couldn't move. He stood helpless as Crowley plunged the knife deep into his belly, he could only let out a pained squeak when he felt the blade wrench about and tear things apart.

Tears started to fall down his cheeks; his body was lurched forward as Crowley ripped the angel-inserted womb from him. He saw a tiny limb hanging limply out of the bloody sack, his eyes widening in horror. Crowley's mad grin only grew as he saw the expression on Dean's face and he couldn't help but laugh.

Dean's voice hurdled up his throat, all the noises and the volume that had been suppressed burst out of him in one incredibly loud shriek of pain. He could only start wailing at the sight of his baby, that child he'd just come to accept. His body shook uncontrollably as he cried, his arms shakily reaching for the corpse of the baby that Crowley threw to the floor in front of him.

* * *

 

_I remember taking the unborn into my arms, I remember holding it tightly and how uncontrollable my crying was. I remember the pain in my abdomen, I'd been stabbed just moments before but I could hardly think about that. Everything for the next few moments were incredibly fuzzy, I remember a loving hand touching my shoulder and the pain in my stomach vanishing, and Crowley's... what I assume was Crowley's, mutilated body hitting the floor. Then his arms were around me; that loving touch, that beautiful voice reassuring me. He told me he couldn't bring the baby back; it was beyond his power while stuck in the Reserve. No matter how hard I begged and pleaded, he couldn't do anything about it. I cried all night, and all the next day. It was weeks before I could control the sudden sobbing fits. At first I was mad at him for getting me pregnant, then I was happy, and then I was mad that we couldn't save our baby. It was more than I could handle at the time, I didn't know it but he did. He promised me that we'd wait before trying it again. I asked him how long, and he responded; "That's up to you." I didn't get it at the time, but I realized later that he meant we'd try again when I was ready, and neither of us knew when that would be._


	8. Chapter 8

_I couldn't begin to describe how the next year was after our first child died. He held me every day, he gave me everything I ever wanted, he never got angry... He was always perfect but that year was even better. He would carry me when he felt like it, or when he felt I needed it. I always asked him how I could make him feel special too, he told me; "You do it every day I see that ring on your finger." Normally I'd see that line as cheesy but from him... It was beyond amazing, he sent shivers down my spine and created a warm, fuzzy feeling inside me. I had never been so happy._

_It was at the end of our second year together when things started to get a little odd. The scientists hadn't known what to do when they found me pregnant the first time, they took notes and did fewer tests, though I'm sure they wanted to do a whole lot more. Something I'd noticed about the scientists after the tournament was that one of them never went back to their usual job. Chuck had been assigned, like all the others, to one of the combatants; my angel. But, unlike the others, Chuck remained assigned to him. Chuck was his prominent scientist, the most involved researcher. When something happened with him, Chuck was the first one to know. I hadn't seen anything like that before, though I hadn't really been close to anyone like I was to him. My guess would have been that the angels had specific researchers assigned, maybe it was that no one else really fit the bill. Either way, I'm still not sure what was up with that._

_Anyway, he came home from his daily science-lab visits on our two year anniversary and hefted me into his arms. He gave no warning, just fluttered into the room and picked me up. I was surprised, to say the least, though it was a good kind. After fervently kissing me, he looked me in the eye and just smiled. I could have melted right there, and to this day I don't know how I didn't. I was ready, he knew it, and I knew it. It was time to try again, so we did it. This time I felt that odd sensation flow inside me when he came. It was amazing, I'd felt it the first time too but I actually knew what it was that time and I could never really describe it properly. I knew that a miracle was happening inside me and I couldn't have been more excited to know that I'd be having his child. This time we wouldn't let anything happen to it. He swore to me that he'd do everything in his power to make sure._

* * *

Dean sat comfortably on the couch wrapped in Castiel's arms, watching one of those cop shows. He wasn't even sure which one it was, they were all the same to him. Someone died then the cops go on this spree of trying to figure out who did it, questioning everyone, all that jazz. He hated those shows, he wasn't entirely positive about it but he was pretty certain that police in real life didn't try that hard to find a killer. However, despite his complaints about the choice in television, Castiel was hooked on it. He watched every detail so intently that Dean wasn't sure if his husband's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets or not.

"These shows are retarded," he complained again, hoping Cas would change the channel this time.

Castiel flinched a little, he was drawn into the 'plot' far enough that any other noise in the room was enough to startle him. He looked down at Dean and watched those green-tinted eyes stare up at him, he sighed and lifted the remote, "Okay," he smiled and kissed Dean's forehead. "What would you rather watch?"

Dean smiled and wriggled a little to get more comfortable, very obviously pleased with the turn of events. "Let's see... Can we watch a movie?"

Cas laughed and lifted himself from the couch, walking over to their collection. Well, it wasn't 'theirs' originally, all those movies were Dean's when they got married. Cas had barely seen a quarter of them, though he intended to watch them all. "Which one?"

Dean shrugged, stretching out over the rest of the couch, his pregnancy wasn't far enough along to be able to see it on him yet but he was already going through all of the mood swings (though this time wasn't nearly as intense as the last). "You pick one."

"But I don't know any of them," Cas looked back at all the cases stacked in front of him. There were too many to keep track of, he had no idea which one would be a good one, "What if I pick a bad one?"

"Dude they were my movies, I don't keep 'bad ones'." Dean laughed, rolling his head to look at the confused expression on his angel's face. "You can be so cute."

Cas just grinned at him, "Right, I'm the cute one." His eyes trailed down Dean's body, he couldn't help but lick his lips when he saw that Dean's shirt had ridden up, revealing that perfect waist-line. "God you're gonna make me fuck you in the living room aren't you?" He said as he turned away, a grin climbing over his features.

Dean glanced down at his midsection and shrugged, "Maybe."

Cas glanced back at him, his heartbeat slowly increasing as he felt a light throb beneath his suddenly constricting slacks. He dropped the movie he was holding and walked over to his lover, his eyes darkening into lust-filled pools. "You asked for it." His hands came down on Dean's hips in an instant, pulling his pants and boxers down past his knees. Cas' cock hardened instant at the sight of Dean's already growing erection, he looked up at his partner only to see a pleading look in those hazel eyes.

Cas needed no further prompting, he took Dean into his mouth fully, deep-throating it at first. He didn't gag, he was an angel and had full control over himself in that regard, which only turned Dean on more.

"Oh god Cas... yeah, ah!" Dean rolled his head to the side, his eyes closing as ecstasy started falling over him. Ever since their first time Cas had only become a pro at it, possibly even better. He was a quick learner and was as close to perfection as Dean figured was possible in the entire universe. It took only a few minutes of this before Dean came, his breathing coming in short, ragged breaths. Cas only smiled as he swallowed the semen, thoroughly enjoying the taste. He looked up at Dean's exhausted expression and leaned up to kiss it, passing the taste on to Dean's tongue with his own.

Cas quickly rose and retrieved the lubricant from their bedside, dropping his pants as he approached the couch again. He felt the cold air on his dick as soon as his clothing fell away, a shudder ran down his spine as he knelt over Dean again. He coated his hand in lube and took a firm hold of his erection and slid his hand fervently up and down. Dean smiled at him, "Save some for me." Cas blushed a little, realizing he'd gotten carried away. He used two fingers to probe Dean's anal passage gently at first, making it slick enough for a comfortable entry.

Dean moaned, squirming beneath Cas, "Hurry, Cas..." he glanced up, his eyes hadn't lost that pleading look. Castiel could only smile at him; his lover was too adorable for words. He stopped teasing and pushed his swollen member inside, feeling Dean's muscles tighten around his sensitive cock. He groaned lightly and quickened his pace; he was too close already to be gentle. Dean didn't complain, he wrapped his legs around Cas' torso and moved along with him to make each thrust harder.

In moments Cas hit his climax, his hips moving as fast as they could in that position. Dean cried out along with him, thoroughly enjoying the pounding. When the ecstasy died down Cas slumped on top of Dean, trail kisses along his neck. "You're gorgeous," he whispered, a satisfied sigh escaping him.

Dean's legs dropped back onto the couch and he wrapped his arms around Cas' shoulders, "I love you."

"I love you too." Cas leaned up and passionately pressed their lips together, remaining that way for minutes.

A loud rumbling echoed in the distance, and in moments the aftershock of what must've been a huge explosion. Cas sat upright and looked over at Dean, a worried expression taking over his face. "Let's check it out," Dean said, climbing off the couch. Cas caught his wrist and shook his head.

"I don't think so, not you anyway."

"Why!" Dean spun to face his husband but the look on his face told Dean everything.

"I can't risk losing you-"

"Because I have your child?" Dean snapped angrily.

"Because I love you!" Cas stood up, his voice was rough and protective. He pulled his clothes on and glanced at Dean, an apologetic look in his eyes. Bright wings sprouted from his back, they hadn't lost any of their purity so far, despite being on the Reserve for over two years. "Stay here." With that he vanished.

* * *

 

_I was pissed with him; I wanted to find out what made that explosion just as much as he did. But he was right, I had already lost our child once, he knew that if it happened again I'd be devastated. He was looking out for me, like he always did. I sat alone and waited for him, he was gone for about an hour but when he came back I couldn't believe how roughed up he was._

* * *

Dean flinched when he heard the sounds of fluttering wings. He looked up to see Castiel standing next to the couch, his hair a total mess and blood staining his clothes. "What happened! Cas are you okay!"

Castiel ran his hand over himself and nodded, "Yes, I am now. There's a new demon on the Reserve." He looked up at Dean, concern evident in his blue eyes, "He was more than upset about being here..." Cas sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair, "The scientists couldn't get him under control, some of the spectators tried to help, myself included, but he was just... too strong." Cas sat down next to Dean and rested his head on his partner's shoulder. "They hit him with some kind of spell, knocked him out cold. Without a connection to heaven I can't even begin to know what spell it was."

Dean leaned over and kissed him, "So what now?"

"Not sure... I assume that he'll be let loose in here at some point, but for now they're holding him."

_He was right; they did hold the new comer for a while. I assume to brain wash him enough to let him loose in the Reserve. I heard rumours around before the new guy was freed, mostly about how badass a demon he really was. It was said he was strong enough to be the next Lucifer, some said that he was Lucifer. I didn't know what to believe, though I had a strong hunch that I wouldn't like the answer regardless. Two weeks after the demon's initial arrival he was finally let out of solitary confinement._

Dean and Cas were sitting together in the park, in the favourite place. Cas had his arm protectively around Dean's shoulders and the two just sat talked. A dark shadow fell over them, causing both to turn their heads. Castiel didn't hesitate, he stood up and stepped between the new comer and Dean, "Back off, demon."

The man stared through long brown hair, casually lifting his hand and running it through to pull his bangs from his face. "Or you'll do what, halo?" he took a step forward, his shoulders looking broader the closer he got. He was intimidating, much bigger than Castiel and was rumoured to be a lot stronger.

"You don't want to go there." Cas' eyes narrowed, "Back away."

"I want him." The new comer nodded toward Dean, who only sat staring at him. Dean couldn't put his finger on it but this guy seemed familiar.

"Too bad," Cas growled, "I've claimed him, he's mine. For  _life_. So stay away from him."

The man's eyes narrowed briefly, "Do you think I care about your stupid rules?" He took firm hold of Castiel's shoulder who flinched at the pressure. This guy wasn't anything to sneeze at. Cas took a solid stance and blasted a wave of holy energy into the larger man's body. His hazel eyes closed, "That hurt." He turned an angry glare onto Castiel and swiftly lifted his hand. Something occurred between them and it sent Cas hurdling through the air, and several trees.

Dean watched his husband hit the ground, shock and concern written all over his face, "CAS!" He stood to run to Cas' aid but a strong hand gripped his arm.

"You're coming with me, Dean." The familiar man said sternly, glancing at Castiel's quickly recovering body.

Castiel lifted his head to see that the new comer had vanished, along with Dean. "NO!" He stood up and looked around frantically. He flew to where he felt Dean was, though he couldn't go all the way. The building he'd come across was covered in angel-proof symbols. "Damn it!" He shouted, pounding his fist on a nearby wall. "DEAN!"


	9. Chapter 9

_In the moments where I didn't recognize my captor I was terrified. I cried, prayed that he would save me, that my angel would fly in and smite those who did me wrong. I held my midsection like the end of the world was coming; I tried to protect my unborn child with everything I had, though I knew that no matter what I did it didn't matter. I wasn't capable of defending myself against something that had taken him down so easily. I can't explain the desperation and fear that coursed through me. I was inconsolable; I was falling into hysteria as I watched the demon's tall, intimidating form stride closer to me._

* * *

"Don't be scared, Dean." That somehow familiar voice washed over him, those eyes staring down at him. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Bullshit!" Dean shrieked, his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach, his knees up in hopes they'd add extra protection. He'd broken out into a cold sweat, tears slipping down his cheeks as he tried to get his breathing under control. "Who are you! What do you want?" His limbs shook horribly, he couldn't get a hold of himself, it didn't matter what he did. His eyes scanned the room, hoping there'd be the comforting sight of his husband coming to his rescue, though he couldn't have been further from right.

"Dean, he isn't coming. I've angel-proofed this building." The demon said, his voice hushed as if he were trying to be comforting. "You're staying with me now." His tone sounded possessive, his eyes were more intense than Dean was used to. He found himself trying to shrink out of sight, even as the individual took another step closer and knelt down in front of him.

Dean kicked out his feet, attempting to force the intruding stranger to back off, "Get away from me!" He shrieked, feeling his heart lurch forward in his chest. The stranger only shook his head, not even flinching as Dean's frantic kicks continually made contact with him. "Get away!" Tears stung his eyes again, fear consuming him. He remembered watching Crowley's sick smile as he felt that knife plunge into his stomach, into his child. He couldn't let that happen again, but what could he do?

Dean's thrashing slowed down as he started to tire out, his head pounding uncontrollably. "Please..." He looked up into the demon's hazel eyes, "Please, don't hurt me."

"I told you I wasn't going to." The stranger sighed heavily and gently placed his hand on Dean's cheek, "Don't you recognize me?"

Dean's shaking slowed down considerably. Recognized him? He looked back at the demon kneeling in front of him, those hazel eyes staring back. Dean squinted for a moment but shook his head, "No... I don't know you..." He was worried what kind of reaction his answer might provoke, but he said it anyway. It was better than pretending he knew who it was and making the situation worse.

The demon's eyes suddenly took on a completely different look than they had before. Dean stared; he could have sworn he saw tears forming. "It's me, Dean."

Dean's expression slowly shifted into shock as he started to recognize the man sitting across from him, the look of those eyes, the basic shape of his face. "No way..." Dean saw several images pass behind his eyelids, all of a small boy with big eyes that watched as his big brother was dragged away. "Sammy?" His voice almost cracked as he said it, he hadn't spoken that name in years.

"It's Sam now." Sam smiled, glad that his brother recognized him. "I can't believe I found you."

Tears brimmed at the edges of his eyes but Dean did his best to fight them back, "My god, Sam!" He relaxed and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his admittedly much larger brother's shoulders. Dean buried his face in Sam's neck, "I missed you so much..." He trembled as the reality of the moment settled in; his little brother was right in front of him. His baby bro was with him now. Dean tightened his grip around Sam, who only returned the hug.

"I missed you too, Dean." Sam whispered, a content smile worn on his lips. "It took me forever to find you. I went to so many different Reserves, all over the damned world man. But all of them were destroyed, except for this one and one other." He leaned back again to see Dean's face, "I thought... that maybe you weren't around anymore." His voice shook slightly, "But then I saw you, of all places you were just sitting there in the last goddamned Reserve on the planet."

Dean looked up at Sam in awe, "The last Reserve?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, well... it's also the biggest. I mean, the other Reserves were basically the size of a gymnasium. This one is miles upon miles of land, all of it surrounded by a state-of-the-art border to keep you all inside. This place is the mother of all the Reserves and over the years it's put up the most fight." Sam sat back on his butt, tired of kneeling. "I'm not sure what happened to the other Reserves, but I found traces of angelic activity. When I saw you with that... well, angel... I got scared." He looked at Dean nervously, "Are you okay? Has it done anything to you?"

Dean could hardly believe the words he was hearing. After being stuck in the Reserve so long he hadn't really considered the idea that the others wouldn't be like this one. In his whole life this plot of land was all he knew, or at least all he remembered. He'd heard of the other Reserves but thought they were the same. Finding out that he'd been living in the most bad-ass fucking one made him feel a little better about himself, he'd heard stories of escapes happening in other locations but never this one. Now he knew why he didn't stand a chance of leaving this place, he felt better.

He paused, "Wait... You mean you thought Cass was going to hurt me?" Dean looked back at Sam, his brother's statement sinking in.

Sam's face scrunched a little, "You mean it wasn't?"

"'He', Sam. Castiel is a 'he'." Dean corrected casually, knowing that suddenly acting like an older brother might not sit well with Sam. "He's actually my husband," Dean lifted his left hand to show off.

Sam leaned in to look at it, the new information settling in his mind. "So..." he looked up at Dean, "You're married to an angel? Like, sworn enemy angel?"

"Dude, no one in here is 'sworn enemies' with anyone. We just kind of... ended up living together peaceful- well... somewhat peacefully. There are the usually fights and things, but it's actually not that big of a deal." Dean looked down at the ring smiling, "He's been my saving grace in the past few years. Without him... I guess you could say that I wouldn't be here anymore." He looked up at Sam again, "He saved my life."

Sam had to take a moment again to process. He nodded slowly, "Oh... well good thing I didn't kill him then."

Dean nodded vigorously. "Yeah, good thing." He looked at the wall of the room, "You think you could let him in?"

Sam glanced at the wall and sighed, "If that's what you wanted."

"Whoa whoa, I just want to let him know I'm okay, that I'm in good hands." Dean lifted his hands defensively, "I didn't mean it like I don't want to hang out with you or anything."

Sam looked back at Dean, "It's been hell, Dean." He said solemnly. "Mom and Dad were killed the night you were taken away, trying to stop them, trying to get you back..."

Dean lowered his gaze to the floor, he'd always thought that was the case but he never wanted to admit it, never out loud, never to himself. He lifted his eyes to see Sam's expression, the pain and torment that lay there. Sam had gone through something that Dean hadn't, their experiences entirely different from one another. "Sam I'm sorry..." He didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you."

Sam shook his head, "It isn't your fault Dean, I just wanted to tell you." He sighed and glanced outside again, "He isn't giving up, you know. That husband of yours."

Dean laughed a little, "Yeah I guess he wouldn't. I mean as much to him as he does to me, I know I'd lose it if he were taken away like that."

"Tell me something," Sam cut in, "Why are you protecting your stomach like that?" He had a feeling but he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"I'm pregnant." Dean said simply without hesitation.

Sam's eyes widened, "You're kidding, how?" The tone in his voice was hard to place though he sounded more curious than anything else.

"Cass, I didn't believe it either until, well... You know, different signs of pregnancy and all that. Plus the scientists ran some tests and sure enough, I've got a baby growing in me." Dean rubbed his midsection tenderly, a smile lighting his face.

"No way," Sam laughed a little, "Well I'll be damned... Congrats, I think?" He wasn't sure how to take the news, though he figured that taking it like he just did would work best for them. "So... what're you gonna name it?"

Dean shrugged, "Dunno, I assume that, since Cas in an angel and everything, he'll make sure we have a son first."

Sam nodded, "Well that means I have to hurry."

Dean tilted his head in confusion, a trait he'd unconsciously learned from Cas, "Hurry?" He asked.

"Yeah, blowing this place apart." Sam said simply, as if he were talking about moving a bed from one floor to the next.

"Blowing it apart! Like... getting out of here?" Dean couldn't wrap his head around the idea, it sounded too crazy to be real. "Sammy no one's ever gotten out of here before, not alive anyway."

"That's what they said about the other ones before I destroyed them." Sam stood up again and walked over to one of the outer walls. "But it's possible. This one's much bigger though, I may need some help." He ran his hand along the wall before sending a shockwave into it, creating a massive fissure that destroyed one of the angel-proofing sigils. "Maybe your hubby will up for it."

As he finished speaking the wall blew open further than he had cracked it. Castiel, wings up and at opened wide, stood on the other side. "Where's Dean?" His voice was like gravel as he nearly spat the words out. "What have you done with him!?"

"Cool it," Sam raised his hands, "Dean's fine, he's right here."

Dean had clambered to his feet and stepped into Cas' vision. "Hey," he said softly, not sure what to say. "Cas, uh... this is my little brother, Sammy."

Cas looked so relieved to see Dean standing there. His eyes lit up the moment he heard his lover's voice. In almost an instant he was inside the building with his arms wrapped firmly around Dean's shoulders, Cass' cheek resting against his. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered, pulling away slightly to look at Dean's face. "I thought... I thought I'd lost you again."

Dean smiled and shook his head, "Can't get rid of me that easy." They hugged again, though this time Css turned to look at Sam when he finally let go of Dean.

"Sam, it's good to meet you." Cas bowed his head respectfully, "Dean hasn't said much about you, though I believe that's due to the two of you not seeing one another for over 10 years."

Sam scoffed a little, "Yeah... yeah I guess." He smiled and nodded his head, "Good to meet you too."

* * *

 

_I was surprised that their second meeting had gone so much better, I'm still surprised. The way they met originally wouldn't be considered good terms, though I guess they got along because of me. Sam wanted to stay close to his brother so he figured he'd be nice to his brother's fiancée. And vice versa. After that little fiasco, we invited Sammy over for supper; boy can guy eat. I mean, yeah he was a big guy and all but damn! Lucky there was someone who could teleport to get more, that's all I'm sayin'._

_Anyway that night Sam relayed his information to us. The two of them agreed in the end; the Reserve needs to be destroyed._

* * *

"I was sent here to remove them." Cas looked at Sam from the couch next to Dean, a cup of iced tea in his hand. "These Reserves have gotten in my Father's way, He gave me this mission."

Sam nodded, "I've got a similar story." He leaned back in his chair folded his hands together over his stomach, "Though I gave myself the mission. I wanted to see Dean again, I hated these things for ruining my life..." He looked over at his brother, "You weren't the only one they wanted." He sat up and leaned forward again, his elbows resting on his knees. "Apparently I was 'destined to meet' someone."

Dean frowned, "What are you talking about?" He leaned forward as well, his brow furrowed in his confusion.

"Lucifer." Sam said simply, "The Reserve I was taken to, they were trying to raise Lucifer.  _Trying_! I, apparently, was bait. They'd done some bullshit research that all ended up pointing to me. I read it later on but I couldn't make heads or tails of it." He ran his hand through his hair, "Point is, I met him."

"What did he say?" Dean was curious though he couldn't shake the feeling that pushing Sam with this topic wouldn't end well.

Cas, on the other hand, didn't like the conversation. Anyone trying to raise the devil was obviously the enemy of the angels. Cas, being as devoted to his father as he was, didn't doubt for a second that the humans' meddling in such affairs was the reason for his being on earth now.

Sam shook his head, "He wanted me to help the scientists pull him from his cage."

Cas put his cup down, his mind running through different questions to ask. Deciding on one he looked back at Sam, "So is that why you started destroying the Reserves?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. It took them a long time to contact Lucifer, or it took him a long time to pay attention. Either way, the way the research explained it, I'm supposed to be Lucifer's connection to this world."

Dean shook his head, "Wait I'm not following, how are you his 'connection'?"

Sam shrugged, "I dunno, I told you I couldn't understand the researcher's notes. It didn't make sense, but the end result is Lucifer will walk the earth again once he had a solid connection made."

"What does this connection mean?" Cas' eyes squinted slightly as he spoke, numerous thoughts piling up in his head, "That he's supposed to control you?"

Sam nodded, "Basically, yeah. He said that we will be the same person." He looked over at Dean then back to Cas. "So, what do you say we get out of this place?"

The married couple exchanged glances, both seeming to agree. "I don't want my children to grow up in this place," Cas looked down at Dean's stomach tenderly, then back to Sam, a certain determination lying in his eyes. "I have an idea."


	10. Chapter 10

" _I have an idea." He had said with such determination, his voice sounded strong, his eyes were stronger still. He sat forward and explained how he wanted to ruin the Reserve. It didn't matter if two or three of us escaped, we needed to bring it to its knees. Something Sam and I agreed with. He explained that we weren't the only ones who wanted out; he'd spoken with others numerous times and discovered that his fellow angels were homesick. He had made a good point when he killed Raphael and Michael; they had lost their beauty, their light. They'd dimmed over time cut off from Heaven and now they wanted out._

_He said he'd organize the rest of the Reserve and we'd start a full-scale riot, not just a riot but a war, for our freedom. On that note he and Sam shook hands and my brother left the house._

_The way Sammy had acted since meeting him... I should have known... But I shouldn't spoil it for you, you'll see what I'm talking about soon enough._

_At any rate, I was more than concerned. A riot? A_ war _? That sounded awfully heavy for someone who was pregnant. Hell, I hadn't even considered the fact that my stomach was way too big for how far along I really was. I had to stop him before he went out the next morning, I couldn't shake a sinking feeling I had._

* * *

"Cass, wait." Dean took hold of his lover's shoulder, a pleading look in eyes. "Please, I want to get out of here as much as anyone else, but isn't there a less dangerous way?"

Cass looked at Dean, his heart almost melting at the sight. "Dean, I promise you that you and our children will be fine throughout this, you don't need to worry."

Dean bit his lip, "But... how do you know? Crowley killed... he did it so easily! Any scientist could jab me with a needle or something..."

Cass shook his head, "Have faith in me."

* * *

 

_I watched him, his smile shined before he vanished. I learned later on that he'd prayed about that very issue and had received an answer. A promise from his father that I would be protected, me and the lives growing inside me. I went to see the scientists later that morning and learned that I had been blessed with twins. I suppose it was his way of making up for the first one._

_That evening, he finally came home with numerous others in tow, Sam included. They sat down and discussed what they intended to do and before I knew it they had a series of plans laid out for the upcoming events. He seemed content when he sent them home._

* * *

"It'll all start tomorrow," Castiel looked at Dean, "Are you ready for this?"

Dean shook his head, "I've lived on this Reserve for as long as I can remember, Cass. I don't know how to live out there."

"It's easy," Castiel strode across the floor and took Dean in his arms, "You just  _live_."

"And what if something happens to you?"

"Don't worry about that."

"Well I am! I can't naturally have kids, Cass! Especially not twins!" Dean's eyes brimmed with tears as he threw Castiel's arms away from him. "You're gonna die and I'll be here all alone!"

Cass, seemingly unaffected by Dean's fit, took a firm hold of his partner again. "God will provide, should something happen to me. And I swear I'm going to get you out of here, you'll live in the outside world again, I promise."

"Why can't you promise you won't die?" Dean had planted his face into Castiel's chest, his tears soaking into the angel's shirt.

"Because I have been given no promise of that," Castiel kissed the top of Dean's head, "But that doesn't mean I won't live, Dean. I will do everything in my power to get our family out of here alive and in one piece. You have my word."

* * *

 

_He had made so many different promises, though none of them seemed to comfort me. He said that when he had impregnated me he'd blessed my body to create a birth canal and essentially make a new path to my anus, which, he added, would also miraculously become flexible. But all of this would wear off after the process had ended. Again, not comforting. I would have preferred him to snap his fingers and they'd be out of me in seconds._

_Despite my concerns, we cuddled and made love again. Though I didn't know for sure, I did it believing that it would be the last time._

_In the morning everyone knew, all of the supernatural creatures knew what we were doing and we got ourselves ready. During the earlier parts of the day we went to see the scientists as we always did, not letting on what we planned. Ellen caught that I was nervous and asked me what was wrong. Part of me wanted to tell her to run, though I knew that if I did she'd probably end up telling someone like Zachariah. So I said nothing._

_As the sunlight faded and evening rolled around, we knew._

* * *

Castiel stood before the growing crowd, all weighed down slightly by chosen weapons, all ready to fight. "I've been given a promise." He shouted over their hushing voices. "My father swore he would give us a fighting chance, I believe in Him." He ran his finger along the band around his neck, "My friends, brothers and sisters, have faith. Remove your restraints."

The crowd looked confused, everyone knew that if you tried to take the collar off you'd be shocked. Dean looked at Castiel and nodded in obedience, gripped his collar tight and ripping it from his neck.

Nothing happened.

The supernatural creatures roared and did the same, excitement and purpose rose within them. "Are you ready, friends?" Castiel shouted again, his voice commanding respect as he spoke. He received a second roar from the crowd, this time weapons being punched into the air. "Then let's run this place into the ground!" As the words left his mouth his pure white wings spread out behind him, a signal for them to charge.

In minutes there were alarms screeching across the entire Reserve. Dean did his part, broke through the walls that lead to the scientists' part of the structure, stole weapons and destroyed labs. Of course there was much larger destruction going on but Dean couldn't compare with the power that Castiel and Sam possessed. The angels could leave the Reserves now; individuals like Gabriel and Balthazar raced outside and began their assault on the outer walls, intending to create a path for the less able left inside.

Dean stood in a lab and watched some of the security scatter about, many of the scientists trying to find ways to subdue the creatures. "Why isn't the shock-collar working! They should all be putty by now!" One of the shouted, Dean thought for sure it was Zachariah.

"No good, they were disabled at some point. It seems all these buggers removed them." That sounded like Bobby.

"Disabled! Who did that!"

"Chuck, or so I've heard." Bobby sounded pretty calm, considering.

"Where is he now!"

"Vanished, been missin' since this mornin'."

So Chuck had helped them escape. Dean wasn't sure what that meant but he decided he wouldn't stick around to eavesdrop any further, sticking with the rioting group sounded like a good enough plan. He was less likely to be singled out that way.

* * *

 

_The shades of night descended, it was as if death shone a golden light across the blackened sky above us. I heard so many screams and saw so many faded expressions that I could never forget it. I just wanted to see him, I was scared. I ended up separated from the slaughtering group I was with. I ran around alone for hours into the night, where I went was quiet. I could see the destruction happening from further away but I just needed to get out of there. My eyes were swollen, I hadn't even realized I'd been crying throughout most of my escape._

_I stood in the distance and watched the world I knew crumble before me. It wasn't a bad feeling, not entirely. I saw freedom through a hole that had been broken into the wall, all the way to the other side. I knew that he was over there; I knew he was leading the fight. I screamed into the night for him but I got no answer._

_I lost track of time, I can't remember how long the fight had gone on for or when the noise of the battles started to disappear. I do know that I started wandering back before I saw daybreak. Everything was quiet and the closer I got to the wall the more worried I became. 'Wouldn't he have come to get me?' I thought over and over._

_And then I saw Sam_.

* * *

 

Dean stumbled through the charred field, his feet feeling like lead. "Sammy?" He whispered hoarsely, seeing the silhouette of his little brother standing alone.

The taller Winchester turned his head slowly, a sick smile spreading over his face. "Hello, Dean."

That wasn't Sammy.

"Sam?" Dean asked again, his steps slowing and his voice concerned. "Are you alright?"

Sam's face twisted a little, "Eh... Not quite Sammy." He corrected, lifting and wagging his finger in Dean's direction, "But yeah, I'm doing great."

Dean shook his head, "Wait, not Sam...?" His eyes widened, "Lucifer!"

"Bingo!" Sam's face broke another twisted grin, "Gold stars for the smart kid."

"Since when?" Dean felt a familiar feeling gripping his chest, fear started rising into his throat and affecting his speech.

"Since those scientists touched down into my cage. Sam was my connection out and they dangled him inside like a worm on a hook." Lucifer shrugged, "I took the bait, then decided that I'd give my personal thanks."

Dean's heart felt like it was sinking. His little brother was stuck in there with the devil. "Why did you start destroying the Reserves?"

"I saw my babies in here," Lucifer motioned toward Dean, "You're one of them, after all. All demons are my children, and I couldn't stand to see them locked up." He stepped in Dean's direction, "I'll admit I was surprised to hear Sammy's voice again when I first saw you. He wanted to see you again, so I gave him the honour of watching as I spoke for him."

Dean growled, "You... you let my little brother go!"

"Can't do that, he's my only connection to this place, sorry." Lucifer stopped only a few feet away.

"Dean!" Castiel's voice washed over him like a relieving wave.

"Cass!" Dean took several steps back, "its Lucifer! He's got Sammy."

Castiel touched down next to Dean and looked over at the devil across from them, "I heard." He placed his hand on Dean's shoulder, "Get out of here, the others are all outside already."

Dean looked up at him, staring at those pale blue eyes, "What about you?"

"I need to defeat him, he will only destroy the free life you've been given tonight." Cass looked over at Dean, a smile spreading onto his lips, "I love you, Dean. Now go." He stepped ahead of Dean and started marching toward Lucifer.

* * *

 

_I'll never forget the look of his back as he walked away from us, I'll remember those eyes forever, and the look of his last smile has never left my mind. I listened to him when he to leave. I turned and I ran. I remember not being able to find my way through the poorly lit morning while blinded by tears. I could hear his voice in my head as I climbed through the rubble;_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Castiel."_

_"Will you inform me of the ways of this place?"_

" _I will seek you out later."_

_"Well I meant that I will do anything to find you again."_

_"I like that; Cas. ... Will you please call me that?"_

" _You can claim more than objects? What's the rule on claiming people?"_

_"Have you been claimed?"_

" _Please, have faith in me."_

" _Hello, beautiful. You're mine now."_

" _I love you, Dean."_

_I reached the group wait outside, many had already scattered. I wanted to stay but they told me to that if he was going to survive the following battle he would come find me. He was an archangel, after all. I agreed and hitched a ride with them._

_I haven't seen him since. It's been fifteen years since then, I sit alone and celebrate our anniversary every year, the anniversary of our meeting, our wedding, and of the last time I ever saw him._

_I'm living in Lawrence again; my boys are both turning 14 soon. I tell them about their father every night and when I go to bed I dream about him. I cry before falling asleep, wishing I were held, wishing to see him. When I wake, though... It's like his presence is there, wishing me a good morning and lightly stroking my cheek. It helps me get through the days, but I'll never stop missing him._

_I love you, Castiel._

_-end recording-_


	11. Epilogue

Dean stood at the sink, washing the last dishes that they'd used for supper that night. He heard the boys playing games in the other room and smiled to himself, glad that they could enjoy a life like this. The world had taken to the supernatural quite well; they managed to live alongside each other without much issue.

He sighed heavily as he placed the last dish in the cupboard, slowly closing its doors. Lowering his head for a moment, he couldn't help but think back on all that had happened all those years ago. How could he help it? Someone he used to know had approached him with questions, asking him to retell his story. He couldn't very well ignore it, especially since it was Chuck who had been the one asking.

Dean lifted his gaze to stare out the window and watched night descend on their modest house. It had been a painful, distant memory before. But now... now it was at the forefront of his mind, he remembered so much and so recently that he couldn't push it back. Those blue eyes haunted him; he yearned to see them again. Tears formed a shimmering line beneath his eye, his shoulders trembling. "Boys," he called, keeping his tone as steady as he could, "I'm heading to bed early tonight, don't stay up too late."

"Okay dad!" he heard them shout back in unison.

Dean stumbled down the hall and into his room, quickly closing the door and leaning against it. He sobbed lightly as he slid down to the floor, bringing his knees up and holding them tightly. "Why, Cass?" he whispered, "Why'd you leave me alone? I miss you so much..."

The fluttering sounds he heard next almost stopped his heart. Dean's head shot up and saw the form of a man in a long trench coat standing in front of him. Slowly the figure squatted down and reached for Dean's face. "Hello, beautiful. Miss me?"


End file.
